The Blood You Drink
by FollowYourDreams97
Summary: Castiel is a priest at the local church. He finds himself seeing the same man attending every Sunday and then vanishing. Suddenly he starts seeing the man everywhere he goes and begins to have erotic dreams about him. Soon enough they meet and Castiel feels his worst nightmares coming to life. Vampire!Dean Priest!Castiel Destiel AU smut
1. Church

The Blood You Drink

Chapter 1: Church

Father Castiel awoke at 4 a.m. Sunday morning just like always. He carried out his morning routine of taking a shower, going over his sermon for the day, and feeding the cat. He pulled up to the church in his small broken down car and unlocked the church. Volunteers at the church helped him put bibles in the pockets behind the wooden seats. The choir rehearsed the days worship songs while other volunteers passed out pamphlets as people filed in for church.

Castiel always recognized the people that showed up every single Sunday. Small families and couples were usually the regulars. But there was always one man that came on his own. He would pull up in his '67 Impala, and he always ran inside. Sitting in the back away from the crowd, he would sit completely still, almost like he wasn't breathing. The main thing Castiel found strange about the man was that he never socialized. The church was small, and almost everyone knew each other. Everyone would attend the same Christmas parties and church picnics, but the man with the impala never did. Castiel didn't even know his name after all this time.

As people arrived for morning service like always, Castiel found himself waiting to see the Impala. Soon enough, the car pulled up and the man darted inside. As soon as he was in the building he looked relieved, like he had been in pain. He sat in the in the back and buried his nose in the bible until the choir started singing.

After the choir finished singing, Castiel began to preach. "Let us open with a prayer to our Father." Everyone bowed their heads and closed their eyes. "Father we thank you for this morning. Let us take a moment of silence." As everyone remained quiet to pray a personal prayer, Castiel let his curiosity get the better of him. He opened his eyes and looked at the man in the back. The man looked like he was in pain as he prayed. Castiel could have sworn he saw smoke emerging from the man's hands.

Prayer ended and Castiel started his sermon. As he spoke the word of God, he found himself glancing at the man in the back. The man was following along closely with the Bible in his lap. He was the only one that seemed to truly care about the message.

After the sermon ended, Castiel said his goodbyes to the people he knew in person, which was almost everyone. He turned and saw the man about to leave. Part of him wanted to go over and properly introduce himself, but the man ran out to his car in a hurry. He sped off leaving dust in the air. Castiel's current smile faded and he decided to just carry out his day as usual.

Castiel did marriage counseling after church ended for the day. It broke his heart to see people struggling. The most common case was one member had simply fallen out of love. Divorce was frowned upon, but it wasn't illegal. It saddened him to see couples that he once wedded go their separate ways.

"You are never there for me anymore!" cried out the wife. "I know you cheated on me! If you weren't happy why couldn't you just be honest with me?" Tears began to run down her face. She brushed her wavy brown hair that fell just below her shoulders away from her eyes and behind her ears.

Her husband slammed his fist on the table in front of him. "Dammit, what was I supposed to say? You never wanted sex anymore and I couldn't take it!"

"Yeah well maybe I would want it if you were actually intimate with me instead of using me like a sex doll!"

"Okay, okay calm down," said Castiel. "We've already cleared up the fact that the two main roots of your problem are sex, and unfaithfulness. Now to work this out, firstly, Matthew, you already confessed your sins to me, and have been forgiven by the Lord for your mistake. But we cannot fix this unless you forgive him as well, Amelia."

Amelia wiped away her tears. "How can I forgive him when he cheated? And he also just uses me during sex."

"That's the part of your relationship you two will have to fix," replied Castiel. "You will have to come to an agreement for your sex life. If you can do that, we have a greater chance at saving this marriage." Castiel glanced at his watch. "Your counseling is done for today, but I will see you two next week. Hopefully we'll have made an improvement."

Matthew shook Castiel's hand. "Thank you, Father." He and Amelia left the church with the aura of resentment still fresh around them. Castiel sighed and leaned back in his chair. How could this happen to people, he wondered. He had never been married himself, and never could be. He felt sadness rush over him thinking about how painful it was to fall in love and then have it taken away. Whether it be circumstance, disagreements, or a star crossed love, having it taken was the most painful thing.

Castiel hoped in his car and started to drive home. He glanced around while he was at a red light. On the side walk to his right he saw someone with an umbrella. _Who would be carrying an umbrella in this weather?_ It was summer in California, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. He took a second look at the person and realized it was the man from church. The man stopped walking near Castiel's car and Castiel suddenly felt uncomfortable. Castiel made very awkward eye contact with the man. He felt himself unable to turn away as the man stared at him with bright emerald irises. A car honked their horn and Castiel nearly jumped out of his seat. He looked up and saw the light was green. He raised his hand out his window as a thank you and felt red spread across his cheeks. As his car accelerated, he turned to his right only to see the man was gone.

He made it home safely and was greeted by his cat. The cat rubbed its body contently against his leg and then retreated down the hall at full speed. Castiel chuckled and went to his bedroom to change into normal clothing. He put on jeans and a plain white button-up shirt. He was already tired from a long day at the church, but he was running low on cat food and milk. He figured he might as well take care of shopping before his week became busy again.

Castiel walked up and down the aisles of the local Walmart placing various necessities in his basket. It was basic routine again. Purchase the necessities, go home, have a drink, and sleep. He picked up a large bag of cat food and swung it over his shoulder to support the 30 pounds. He turned around just in time to see someone duck to avoid being smacked with the bag. "I am so sorry!" he said as he quickly placed the bag in his basket. He was taken aback when he saw emerald eyes looking into his sapphire ones. "I know you," were the only words he could find. The man with the green eyes just nodded and began to walk away. "Hold on a moment." The man turned the corner, and Castiel went to follow him, but just like before, he seemed to vanish into thin air. Castiel sighed and walked back over to his basket.

The drive home was slow and dangerous. Rain fell down in harsh sheets making the streets slick. Most people drove like complete morons. The sound of skidding tires pierced Castiel's ears as he merged into the slow lane to stay safe. Another red light, another glance, and there he was. Castiel rubbed his eyes as he was certain he was going insane. But as soon as he opened his eyes the man was there standing in the rain just staring. The man didn't have an umbrella this time. Who used an umbrella for sun and not for rain? Castiel suddenly felt frightened and was thankful when the light turned green. Was the man following him? How could he on foot? It didn't make any sense. He shook his head and convinced himself he was just seeing things due to exhaustion.

* * *

_Meow, meow. _Castiel found himself getting smacked on the nose by his cat's paw. He gently pushed the tabby aside. "Mary…go away. You have food…" he mumbled as he rolled over to try and get some more sleep before his alarm would summon him for the day. He slowly found himself drifting to sleep only to be greeted by terror.

"_Cas," moaned a voice. Castiel felt a tight embrace. Someone was holding him roughly as they sat on a mattress. "Cas," the voice moaned as Castiel felt a sharp pain where his neck connected to his shoulder. It was like two needles were puncturing his flesh. _

"_Dean," Castiel moaned as he tilted his head to give more access to his neck. "Please," he begged. _

_Dean pulled away from Castiel, his face smeared with blood. He brushed his lips against Castiel's. Castiel felt a strange, pleasurable sensation from tasting his own blood. Dean leaned back to look at Castiel. Castiel's eyes widened with horror as he saw his reflection in the emerald orbs before him. Dean smiled wickedly. "That's my boy."_

Castiel sat upright in his bed with a strangled cry. His black tabby stared at him and pawed at his leg. Castiel sighed. He ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep, shaken breath. _You're just sleep deprived. You just need some extra sleep. Turn on your ringer in case you get called, but get some extra sleep. _He turned off his alarm, and turned on his ringer. Closing his eyes, he fell into the dream scape again.

"_Dean," Castiel moaned as his pleasure increased. He felt his climax building. "Dean, please," he begged. _

_Dean roughly kissed Castiel and sank his teeth into Castiel's bottom lip to draw a few droplets of blood. He licked away the red and moved from Castiel's mouth just enough to speak. "What do you want? Tell me."_

_Castiel let out a wicked moan as Dean scraped his teeth over the puncture wounds on his neck. "Let me come. Please!"_

_Dean smiled cunningly and licked Castiel's wound as he stroked his neglected erection. "Come for me, Father." Castiel cried out as he finally hit his orgasm. His seed spilled over Dean's hand, and Dean began to lick it all away. Dean sighed as he felt Castiel shudder beneath him. "That's a good priest." _

Castiel's eyes snapped open as he heard his phone ring an obnoxious old style telephone sound. He reached over to his nightstand and answered his phone. "Hello?" He sat up when he heard crying on the other end. He quickly glanced at the caller I.D. "Amelia?"

"Father," said Amelia as she let out another sob. "Can you come? S-something terrible has happened!"

Castiel practically jumped out of bed and grabbed his cassock. "I'm on my way."

* * *

Castiel parked in the drive way and was instantly mortified. There were several police cars on the property. Castiel stepped out of his car just in time to see a body being wheeled into an ambulance. Whoever it was, they were dead. Before Castiel could lift his arm to knock on the door, Amelia had flung the door open. Her face was red and stained with tears. "Come in," she said, her voice barely audible. Castiel walked into her house and sat down on the couch. Amelia sat down in the chair in front of him. Her brown eyes were red and puffy. "It's Matt…"

Castiel felt his heart sink. "What happened, Amelia?" He reached over to the coffee table and handed her a box of Kleenex. Amelia blew her nose and let out another sob. She set a glass of water on the table in front of her for Castiel, and he gladly took it.

"I woke up this morning and rolled over to say good morning, and he wasn't there. So I came downstairs, and I found him on the floor," she turned to head to the left. Castiel followed her gaze to a policeman standing over a small pool of blood on the floor. Tape outlined the shape of Matt's body. "His body was completely drained of blood except for what leaked out from other wounds. He was beaten. And there were two little holes on the side of his neck." Castiel sprayed water all across the table and began to choke. He patted his chest and tried to breathe properly again. Amelia looked at him with worry.

"I swallowed wrong," he lied. "Continue."

Amelia put her face in her hands. "I don't understand how it happened, Father!" she blew her nose again. "There are no prints. There's nothing to help us find the murderer."

"I am so sorry," said Castiel trying to clean away the water. "If there's anything you need you just let me know." Amelia nodded her head and stood up. Castiel got to his feet and hugged Amelia. "It's alright." He held her and let her cry for a few moments. He gently rubbed her back and felt deep sympathy. He knew there was nothing worse than losing a loved one, especially because of murder. Amelia pulled away and sniffled.

"Thank you, Father. You'll be there for the funeral in two days, right?" she handed a piece of paper with the information for the funeral.

Castiel took the paper and placed it safely in his pocket. "Of course, Amelia, I wouldn't miss it." Castiel hugged her quickly again. "I have to go make preparations with the church for the funeral now. They've probably already started calling me. But if you need anything, do not hesitate to call me. I'm always here." Amelia nodded and walked Castiel out.

Castiel drove over to the church after answering six missed calls from worried neighbors and friends of Amelia and Matt. He began making arrangements and sending out the information to everyone that attended the church. That was the nice part about attending a church where everyone knew each other, whether you were much of a good person or not, your funeral was a full house.

* * *

It was the afternoon of the funeral. Castiel stood before everyone waiting for it to be time for him to pray and speak on behalf of Matthew. As he stood there in the hot sun, he looked around at the sullen faces. He spotted one woman that seemed to be the only one as upset at Amelia. _That must have been her. _The woman quickly wiped away her tears when Amelia sat down next to her and they shared an embrace. Castiel lightly shook his head. He hoped he was wrong about his assumption. If that woman was the one sleeping with Matthew, it would be hard for him to keep it to himself.

The funeral began with loud sobs in the air. Castiel sighed and began to speak. "We are gathered here today for Matthew Parker. He was a good man, a devoted member of this church. Sadly, he was taken from us much too young. Let us take a minute to pray." Castiel closed his eyes and bowed his head along with everyone else. Suddenly, he felt uneasy. He let curiosity strike him yet again and he opened his eyes and looked out. Out behind the rest of the crowd was the man from his nightmares. He stood under the shade of a tree; he was staring right at Castiel. Castiel felt his breath rattle in his chest. He quickly bowed his head and closed his eyes again. "Thank you." He raised his head and made sure not to look out at the man.

The funeral carried out much like any other, tears, speeches, and a gathering afterwards at Amelia's house that Castiel was obligated to attend despite his exhaustion. When he first arrived, he greeted Amelia with a hug and a casserole. Nothing said, "Sorry you lost someone." like a casserole. It was cliché, but he was too tired to think of something else. Most people were gathered in the backyard on the porch under the cabana. It was over 90 degrees outside and everyone was wearing black. Castiel exchanged small talk with a few people and said many prayers over grieving souls. Amelia walked over to him when he wasn't associating. "Thank you so much for everything today."

"It was my pleasure to be here for you, Amelia. I'm very sorry for your loss. Take your time grieving. I promise you, you will heal over time," replied Castiel.

Amelia nodded her head and wiped away a few stray tears. "I know I will. It's just so hard. I'm terrified of what might happen with that murderer on the loose."

"That fact is troubling," Castiel agreed, "but I'm sure the police will find the criminal. No one can escape forever."

"You always know just what to say," whispered Amelia as she placed her hand gingerly on the back of Castiel's neck. "You're so comforting. I should have married a man like you."

Castiel didn't know how to react to Amelia's gesture, but he didn't want to hurt her any more than she already had been either. "I'm sure you will find someone that will treat you the way you deserve to be treated, Amelia. But take your time. You're still grieving and it will cloud your judgment."

"I know, but I just don't care right now." Amelia brought her other hand to the back of Castiel's neck and smiled. "You always did make a girl swoon."

"You're looking for comfort in the wrong place," said Castiel starting to feel uncomfortable. "And besides, I can't be romantically involved with anyone."

"I know," Amelia sighed. "But regardless, you've always meant a lot to me." She leaned up and quickly brushed her lips against Castiel's. She pulled away and left without another word. Castiel stood in place in a state of shock, and shock it off as hysteria from the loss of a loved one.

The sun began to set in the horizon, and one by one, family by family, people left Amelia's house. Castiel and the other church volunteers that helped with the funeral were the last to leave, leaving Amelia alone.

Castiel arrived home, and with a loud yawn he tossed his keys on the table to his left and plopped down in his chair in front of the TV. He didn't even have the energy to change out of his cassock. Ever since he started having the nightmares about the man, he had hardly slept. He rubbed at the circles under his eyes. His cat hopped on his lap and paced 4 times before laying down. Castiel felt his eyes closing without his permission. He couldn't sleep right now. Not with everything fresh in his mind. _Dammit._

"_Oh, fuck, Dean!" cried Castiel as Dean pushed inside him. "Dean," he moaned, "this is wrong." Castiel bucked his hips and dug his nails into Dean's shoulders. _

"_But it's so right," said Dean. He rolled his hips and whispered Castiel's name. Dean's voice fell into an echo. _

_Castiel opened his eyes to see himself in his old home. The house was torn apart. The walls were sickly with mold, the carpet covered in stains that could only be blood, and the windows were boarded up. The furniture was tossed and broken glass was scattered across the center of the living room. Castiel immediately felt terrified and ran for the front door only to find it was locked from the outside. He tried the back door, it was also locked. He heard a shrill cry that obviously belonged to a girl. "Castiel!"_

Castiel screamed as he sat up in his chair. He scrambled around before snapping back into reality. He was home, his real home. He gasped and wheezed trying to breathe correctly again as he ran his fingers through his hair. Getting up from his chair, he made his way upstairs to change into sleep wear. He pulled on sweatpants and a wrinkled, black short sleeve shirt.

Castiel's room quickly became a mess as he dug through his closet looking for a box. After a while, he finally pulled out a small black and gold box with the initials H.G. He opened the top and took some of the contents into his hands. There was a small bag of baby teeth, a lock of hair, and some jewelry. Castiel felt tears gather in his eyes. He hardly ever opened the box that carried the only remains of his first and last girlfriend. She was murdered when she was 19. Castiel had been given her box of memories since she had almost no family left. He was so heart broken when he lost her. It was her death that made him decide to become a priest; he wanted to help people, but most of all, he wanted to sever any possibilities of falling in love again. There was nothing more painful than losing the one person you wanted in your life.

Sunday came all too soon. Castiel knew he would be speaking for Matthew again, which meant more tears and more grieving. He didn't particularly mind, this things happened, but he also felt himself slipping into slight depression. The loss of Matthew, the way he died, brought up his girlfriend. She also had two marks on her neck, at least that's what the police said. Castiel never saw, and he was glad he hadn't.

* * *

Castiel's sermon ended and he prayed over several people. He looked up from a prayer and saw the man standing in the back. He couldn't stand it anymore and started to walk over. Emerald eyes gleamed at him and turned away, running out the door. Castiel chased the man through the parking lot. "Wait!" He ran and ran until he was in park. For a sunny Sunday, the park was eerily empty. Castiel suddenly heard something that sounded like hissing, followed by a groan that suggested pain. He followed the sounds until he saw the man seated underneath a tree. Patches of his skin had turned an angry red and there was steam emerging from all exposed flesh. The man crawled into the shade and his skin slowly stopped burning. Castiel stood in place terrified. "What…what are you?"

"Just leave it alone, buddy," replied the man. "Just go away."

Castiel couldn't leave this person. "Are you hurt? Is there anything I can-"

"I said beat it!"

"Please," Castiel kneeled by him, "I see you at the church every Sunday. I can't leave you. Please, at least tell me your name."

The man sighed and winced. He turned his head trying to keep it away from rays of light. "Dean." The name sent shudders through Castiel's entire being.

"_Dean!"_

"D-Dean?" Castiel stuttered. Dean nodded his head.

"Yeah, Dean," he mumbled. "Now get out of here." Castiel opened his mouth to protest. "I have a condition okay! I'm literally allergic to the sun! Alright, look it up. I'll be fine. Just get going." Castiel scrambled to his feet and slowly backed away. "Go!" Castiel turned and ran back to the church. He struggled to breathe from running and from the terror. His stomach churned and his head spun. _This isn't happening._

"Father?" asked Amelia.

Castiel's head shot up. "Amelia, hi."

"Are you alright? You look awful, like you've seen a ghost." Amelia gently cupped Castiel's face. "What happened?"

"Nothing," replied Castiel with a huff. "Nothing, I'm fine. Just…tired. I'm just tired, Amelia." Castiel stood up straight and took a deep breath. "Listen, I need to head home, but if you need anything, feel free to let me know."

Amelia gently drew her hand away, lightly caressing Castiel's face. "Alright, but you call me too, if you need anything." She walked away slowly, turning back just once before disappearing around the corner of the building.

* * *

Castiel arrived home and locked all the doors and windows. He shut the drapes, and double checked the back door lock. He ran upstairs to his room and locked that door, resisting nailing it shut. His breath was rapid and shallow. This couldn't happen. These things didn't happen. He lay down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He didn't know what was happening or why, but the one thing he knew was that he wasn't going to sleep very well that night.


	2. Clan

The Blood You Drink

Chapter 2: Clan

The moon rose in the distance. Dean could feel it calling him, summoning him. He tossed and turned wanting to sleep, but sleeping at night was almost impossible for him. Yawning, he sat up and stretched. He turned his head and looked at his calendar. There was a large red circle wrapped around the square marking the day, that day. Dean rolled out of bed and grabbed his clothes.

Walking at night was always colder and lonelier. There were hardly any cars, if any at all. The sidewalks were bare. Dean walked by the park and could feel the emptiness. The silence was deafening. The only sound in the air was the squeaking of the swings in the park being pushed by the light breeze. Dean made his way through the park into the woods that were off limits. He maneuvered his way through the wired fence meant to keep people away. He managed to snag his heavy grey jacket on part of the fencing. _God dammit._ He ripped off a piece of his jacket as he sprung free and continued through the dense forest.

After a while of walking, Dean reached his destination. He stood in an empty part of the woods surrounded by shadows cast through the trees by the moonlight. One by one, more people began to show up. Not a single word was exchanged between anyone; silence remained. Suddenly everyone became tense. Footsteps crushing leaves could be heard as someone approached. A man with bright hazel eyes stood in the center of the circle made by the other people. His hair was brown and fell in waves just above his shoulders. He flashed a pearly white smile at everyone. Everybody was obviously afraid. The man with the hazel eyes loved it. "Brothers, sisters, it's good to see you all. How long as it been? Oh, right, it's been a month. It's the only time I get to see you guys. How's everyone been?" he asked. Nearby crickets chirped. "Oh come on," he turned to a young girl with curly black hair that fell below her shoulders. Her brown eyes gleamed with terror. "Ruby, how have you been holding up?"

Ruby shifted uncomfortably. "I've been fine, Sam," she said. Sam raised his eyebrows and forced the corners of his mouth to rise, encouraging her to continue. "My status report is one body a couple towns over. I drained him dry and kept the blood bags. I shouldn't have to kill again for a while."

"Very good," replied Sam. He approached Ruby and nuzzled the side of her neck. "I smell a bit more than just a few blood bags," he pulled away slowly. "You sure it was just one man?"

Ruby opened and closed her mouth a few times making stuttering sounds. "Well, there might have been a child." Sam glared at her. "I couldn't help it! They taste so much better young."

Sam wrapped his hand around Ruby's throat. Ruby started to choke and claw as his hand. Sam lifted her off the ground to where her feet were just barely hovering. "Your body count was 3 last month. You need to be more careful, or I'll have to take care of you," his voice fell into a whisper as he finished his sentence. Ruby nodded her head and tried to calm down. Sam dropped her. "Anyone else have anything that needs to be cleaned up?" Everyone was silent. "Good. Now for the more important business, mating season." Snickers could be heard from a select few amongst the group. Everyone else braced themselves. Finding a mate was no easy or clean task. "Just remember, this only comes once every ten years, keep the body count as low as you can, and choose wisely."

Dean scoffed. As if it was a choice. You knew exactly who your destined mate was, whether you liked it or not. Once you started dreaming of the person you meant to change, you had to do it. Desperate for blood and protection, the newly changed human would usually join the clan without question. However, occasionally the human would become hysterical through the change, and the clan member would lose their only chance at having a true mate, which left them alone until they were killed, committed suicide, or settled for another human because they were forced. Sam walked over to Dean after hearing him. "You think this is funny?"

"Oh it's just funny you present this whole mate thing like it's a choice," replied Dean with his hands stiff in his pockets. "You say choose wisely, when we all know you can't just pick a mate. You know who they are and if they die or go insane, you're screwed. So stop sugar coating it and be a real leader."

Sam took a step closer to Dean. He was only about 4 inches taller, but when he stood as close as he was, it emphasized the height difference, and the body mass difference. Dean was no small man, but Sam was built like a warrior from centuries of surviving. "You will show me some respect. I chose my mate. Sure, sometimes who you're _meant for_ doesn't work out, but that's why you suck it up, and pick someone else." Sam turned and raised his voice for all to hear. "We have to keep our numbers up or we will die out. So whether the person is meant for you or not, you're running out of time." Sam swung his arm around a girl with long blonde curls. His mate, Jessica, was the most stunning woman in the clan; she was almost as old as Sam.

Everyone slowly made their way back to their homes. Dean turned to leave and was stopped by Sam's voice, "Little brother," he called out.

"Don't call me that," hissed Dean. "I'm _your_ big brother and you know it."

Sam laughed and wrapped his other arm around Jessica. "Yeah, but I was turned first, and I lead this clan, which makes me the boss, the big bro, and the guy you will listen to or you will regret it." Dean's lip peeled back in a snarl. He hated being the underdog to Sam, his little brother. He turned and walked away before a scene would be made. Walking back home, he turned back only once to see his brother biting Jessica's neck, and her returning the favor. Exchanging ingested blood back and forth was a nasty, sexual act performed between vampires. Any blood drunk would stream through the veins of the vampire, which is why they needed to feed often. Dean wanted to tell them to get a room, but he decided to just keep walking.

As Dean walked home, his brother's words continued to anger him. He made finding a mate seem like such a simple task, when the truth was, this time of year was the bloodiest. Vampire's instinct caused them to fight for their mates. If the person was already in any type of relationship or had anyone keeping them away, the person in the vampires way would be slaughtered, their blood drank. The body count was usually so high that the clan had to move again, one by one, member by member. Dean was no social butterfly, but he had become comfortable in the small town. He had a decent paying job, and not having to buy food made life easier. He enjoyed attending church, which was something he did in secret. If any member of the clan found out, he would probably be killed. Worshipping God, to vampires, was like humans worshipping Satan. It was a disgusting act that was to be punished.

Dean arrived at his home and closed and locked the door behind him. He didn't feel like being bothered. He knew sometimes clan members would come by on Sam's behalf to make sure he was staying out of trouble. Sam always kept a close eye on Dean. In the past, Dean was the rabid one. He would go on rampages and the clan had to move around a lot because of it. If it were any other clan member, they would have been murdered long ago, but Sam made an exception for his brother. It all took place centuries ago, and Dean had learned to control himself long ago, but Sam never let him forget.

He lay in bed atop the covers just in boxer shorts. It was too hot in his room for anything more. He sighed as he thought about his mate. The truth was, he had known who he was meant for, for a long time now. Images of the churches priest flooded through his mind. Brown hair and crystal blue eyes. Dean had been watching him for a while, hoping nothing would happen, but what was he supposed to do? He was the only member of the clan with a same sex mate. Yet another thing that could get him killed, but he couldn't fight what he knew was right. Castiel, his destined mate, always so close yet so far, and he couldn't do anything. That was the problem. Dean had already acted on Castiel being his true mate, and he hadn't felt that guilty since the days of his rampages. Castiel had a girlfriend, Hannah Garcia, and Dean's instincts got the better of him. He attacked, he drank her blood, and he fled.

He didn't mean for it to happen, but she was in the way. Every time he saw Castiel with her, his entire being would flare up. Oh how he hated that poor girl, and that night came when she was alone, writing in her dairy, speaking the words out loud. Dean was already nearby since Castiel had just left her house. With his enhanced hearing, he could hear her as she spoke out her deepest thoughts.

_Dear Diary,_

_I know Castiel is Catholic, and would probably never agree, but I want to give myself to him. We're both adults now, I don't see the problem. He might be upset, but I have to ask him. I'm ready to be with him._

Those words sent anger through Dean that he hadn't felt in years. His instincts took over. He climbed through her window and slaughtered her like an animal. It served her right, Castiel belonged to him; at least, that's what he thought at the time, but after seeing Castiel's reaction the next day, suicide seemed like a better option. That's when he started attending church, trying to get away from it all, but as the days passed, things around town changed, and Castiel became the new priest. That's when Dean knew. He wasn't meant to get away from it. No matter how bad it was, Castiel was his, and he was running out of time to make that final.

* * *

Dean's alarm sounded throughout his room and he awoke with bags under his eyes. He sat up and slammed his fist on the clock, glad he managed to hit the right button this time. He walked over to his mini fridge and pulled out a bag full of blood. Sinking his two needle-like fangs into the plastic, he drained it in seconds. The bags under his eyes faded and a little color returned to his skin. He wasn't feeding as much as he needed to, but he had to make due. He couldn't kill again, not after the other day. Matthew's death caused more panic than he had expected. With Matt being the douchebag everyone knew he was, Dean didn't expect so many people to be concerned. Unfortunately for him, word about "the vanishing murderer" spread quickly.

Dean tossed the empty blood bag in the trash and got ready for the day. He had work at the local pet store. The job was crappy at times, literally, but it had good hours and paid well for it. They were desperate to keep the few employees they had, and would do just about anything to keep them. Dean groaned as he brushed his teeth. Blood didn't come off easily.

He put on his blue, jean jacket and grabbed his umbrella. Another thing that he did that no other clan members did was go out in the sun. The other clan members had night jobs and slept during the day. That's what a normal vampire was supposed to do, but Dean was so stubborn to be different, he tortured himself with little sleep and risking burning every single day. Sometimes he wondered if his mate was the same sex purely because he was so determined to be different.

The walk to the pet store wasn't very long, but it was hot. Dean hated wearing his jacket, but he had to protect himself from the sun as much as possible. A few layers of clothing, and an umbrella to protect his face and hands, he could walk around like a normal human, but of course he always did the occasional strange stare from people. After all, what person carried around an umbrella in 100 degree California weather?

"Hey, Dean!" greeted the owner of the pet store, Ellen, as Dean walked inside.

Dean smiled as he folded up his umbrella and placed on a shelf behind the register. "Hey, Mrs. Harvelle," he said as he tied his uniform—a blue apron with his name tag on it—around his waist.

"How are you today?" asked Ellen as she walked over to him and hugged him lovingly, almost like a mother.

Dean hugged back for a moment then pulled away. He was used to the smell of blood, but tight embraces made it harder to resist. "I'm good, how about you?" he asked making his way over to the pet food. He started refilling any empty bowls in the animal's cages.

"Long night. I swear, Jo doesn't realize how much work it takes to close up shop without her," said Ellen as she handed Dean the cleaning supplies he would need. "That snake it the back has been vomiting up his rats again."

"Yeah," replied Dean as made his way over to the snake's cage. "He's not going to be around much longer." He placed the snake in another cage and began to clean the dirty one. "So Jo's been out with her friends again, leaving you here?"

"Yeah, but I feel bad making her stay home. She hardly ever goes out. I just wish she would stay back and help before she left."

"Mom," said a voice. Dean turned around to see Jo. Blonde hair and brown eyes, she was a spitting image of her mother. "In my defense, you said I could leave at seven."

"Yes, but you didn't even bother finishing cleaning the last cage on your list before you left," said Ellen handing Jo a bag of dog food. "Be gentle with the puppies."

Jo rolled her eyes, "I know. And I didn't want to be late. I had to get ready." She began to refill the dog food, and accidently spilled some on the floor. The little nuggets scattered everywhere and most rolled underneath shelves.

"Jo!" Ellen exclaimed. "Be careful, we can't afford to get bugs in here!"

Jo threw her head back in frustration. "Mom, half the animals in here _eat_ bugs! It was an accident!"

"Hey, hey," interrupted Dean. "Ellen, don't worry, after I finish cleaning this I'll sweep it up. Let's just have a calm day of work, okay? Come on," he said with a smile. Both Jo and Ellen couldn't help but smile back and went back to their work.

As Dean swept the floor, Jo held the dust pan for him. She picked up what was swept and dumped it in the trash. "You know, you keep me and my mom from fighting better than my dad ever did," she said with a hand on her hip. "I think he fueled it worse," she chuckled.

Dean shrugged his shoulders. "Since I'm not family, it probably helps."

"Oh but you are family," said Ellen. She placed a leash in his hands. "The Colonel, please?" she asked. Dean glanced outside and saw the sun had reached its highest point, which meant it was at its strongest.

"Can it wait for a bit?" he asked.

Ellen shook her head. "No, dear, I'll need you back here until your shift is over. Please?" Dean couldn't say no to Ellen. She and Jo were the only two townsfolk that treated him like a normal person. He smiled and took the leash and went to the back kennels to get the dog.

"Colonel!" Dean shouted to get the dog's attention. He whistled. "Come on, boy!" Soon enough, a large German Shepherd sprung to his feet and pawed at the cage. Dean opened the cage and attached the leash to The Colonels collar. He walked him out to main part of the store and grabbed his umbrella. He unfolded the umbrella and stepped outside. Instantly, his skin started to burn lightly. He winced as he walked The Colonel around the block. The shade from his umbrella was doing little to protect his face from the rays. He could feel the skin on his cheeks flaring up. Hopefully it would simply look like sunburn.

As The Colonel happily lead Dean around the block, Dean started to think about when Castiel found him in the park. He knew he must have looked awful, red skin, steam emerging from any part of his body that was exposed. Castiel had looked so afraid. Allergic to the sun, Dean shook his head. What a stupid excuse. If Castiel believed that, he was destined to be with a complete idiot.

Dean brought The Colonel back to the pet store and put him back in his kennel. "Good boy," he said locking the kennel up. "See you tomorrow, buddy." He walked back out to the main part of the store and continued to take care of his responsibilities. Jo helped him with most of the cleaning, and after, Ellen would have him take over the register until his shift ended at 5:00 p.m.

"See you tomorrow, Dean," said Jo as Dean folded up his apron. "Don't forget my mom will be gone for most of the day, so you'll need to take care of the customers while I clean." Jo huffed at the word clean.

Dean put his apron away and unfolded his umbrella. "Alright. Well I'll probably be awake, so I'll come to work a little early, help you will some of the cage cleaning before people start showing up."

"You don't have to do that," replied Jo leaning against the counter. She twiddled her thumbs and bit her bottom lip.

"Eh, I don't mind. Hey, help your mom out before you leave okay?" he winked at her and opened the door.

Jo rolled her eyes and giggled. "Yeah, yeah, see ya." Dean smiled and walked out the door and headed home.

As Dean walked home, he kept his eyes on the passing by cars. He knew Castiel would probably be in the road home if he went out. Sure enough he spotted his old beat up car, but he didn't stop walking this time. He knew Castiel was probably still scared, and he knew his brother was following him. He made a right turn and walked down the road to the more remote part of town. It was close to where he lived, but it was far enough away that Sam couldn't sniff out the exact location. He sighed. "Give it up. I've known you for centuries; you don't think I can't smell you across town?"

Sam smiled to himself and stepped out in front of Dean. He held his umbrella high above his head, "Really? Is this what we've come to? We're supposed to strive at night. And here you are. Walking around in the sun like the other people in this town. Oh except you're not. The sun will kill you, so you have to carry around these things."

"Are you done?" asked Dean already extremely irritated. The sun wasn't as strong as earlier in the day, but he had already been exposed too much for the day.

Sam laughed. "You wouldn't have a problem if you just accepted who you are. Instead you walk around pretending to be normal, pretending to be human."

"Yeah, bite me. I bet you don't even remember what it's like to be human. You were _thrilled_ when we were turned. Excited for the immortality, the strength, the speed, you couldn't wait to tap in to what you could do with other people's blood running through your veins. And even after all these years you still refuse to see that we don't have to be monsters!"

"We _are_ monsters, Dean! _You're_ the one that needs to open your eyes. I've been watching you. I know you found your mate." Dean's heart dropped into his stomach. "She seems nice. Jo, right? Cute girl. She'll be good for you."

Dean's heart would have been racing a million miles per hour had it still had a beat. What was he supposed to say? He couldn't tell his brother the truth, but he couldn't watch Jo and her mother get sucked into his undead life either. "She's nice," was all Dean could think to say.

Sam smiled cunningly. "I'll bet she's _nice_ in the sack." Dean's jaw tightened. Jo was like a little sister to him, and he didn't like his brother, or anyone for that matter, talking about her like that. "If you expect me to believe you haven't taken it there, please. It's written all over you, Dean. You're falling for her, and you're going to change her into one of us."

"Just get out of here, Sam. Leave it alone." Sam took a step closer to his brother and knocked the umbrella out of his hand. Dean yelled out in pain and fell to the ground. He twitched in pain and scrambled around until he could reach his shield and guard himself from the rays. He slowly stood up and glared at Sam. He bared his fangs threateningly, even though he knew Sam couldn't be less afraid. The skin on his face and hands was red and covered in nasty blotches he knew would peel away very painfully until new skin grew underneath. Sam looked at him with disgust. "Pathetic," he lowered his voice into a whisper. "You don't tell me what to do. I tell you. And I'm telling you that very soon, you're going to take that little slice, and you're going to change her, or I will." Sam left without another word, leaving Dean to struggle walking home as his body felt like it was crumbling away in the heat.


	3. Dreams

The Blood You Drink

Chapter 3: Dreams

Sam lay comfortably in bed with Jessica beside him. The bed sheet covered him, and Jessica laid on her front in case anyone was stupid enough to come in the room. Jessica opened her eyes and laid her head on Sam's chest, returning to her slumber. Sam held her and tried not to think about the horrendous dreams he had been having lately. Since he was the leader of the clan, it was his job to know everyone's business. He was stronger, faster, and his senses were more enhanced than the others. He also shared their dreams about their mates, sometimes even dreaming about them before the clan members themselves did. No one knew this of course, and they couldn't. Sam had been dreaming about Dean's mate lately. He felt disgusted, to be related to someone with a same sex mate. It was revolting.

He knew Dean had started having his dreams. The way Dean's face looked when he said he knew who Dean's mate was. Dean looked as terrified as he had when Sam punished him for his rampages all those years ago. Sam smiled to himself. He wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. Dean was scared of him, and he would be a good little brother and turn the girl and bring her back home where he belonged. Dean was the only one that lived so far away from the rest of the clan. Across town may not have seemed like much, but to vampires he might as well have moved into another state. The clan lived in a small, rustic neighborhood just outside the town. They were the only ones living there, and the surrounding forests and bear warning signs kept it that way. Sam and Jessica lived in the largest house with a few other clan members that couldn't survive on their own yet. Most were very young in their vampire years and couldn't handle being around fresh blood for very long.

Jessica lifted her head and smiled at Sam, "Goodnight, fearless leader." Sam smiled and pecked kisses along her neck.

"I love it when you call me that, my queen," Sam pulled her on top of him and began to kiss her hungrily. He _was_ hungry since he hadn't fed in a few days, and was itching to kill and feed again. He had to restrain himself, but that didn't mean he had to go without blood. "Jess, will you be a doll and give me a minute? I need to take care of some clan business."

Jessica huffed, "Alright, I'm going to have to get to work soon anyway." She stepped out of the bed and let the moonlight shine on her pale skin. Sam sank his teeth into his bottom lip. God she was beautiful. Sam sighed as he stepped out of bed and began to dress himself. He put on his boxers and jeans, and pulled a green and white plaid shirt over his head. He slipped on his jacket and pecked Jessica on the lips before leaving the house and making his way into the forest.

Sam walked into the most dense and dark part of the woods. He stood and waited. Soon enough, he was greeted by a man he could recognize a mile away. He had brown hair and a thick beard, and blue eyes that could be seen even in the pitch black woods. "Benny," said Sam as he made his way over. "You get it?"

"Of course I got it," said Benny handing Sam a blood bag. Sam gratefully took it and sank his fangs into the plastic. "You're really taking your clan seriously. You've been calling me up for special blood more often now."

Sam licked away the blood that remained on his lips and smiled cunningly at Benny. Red stained his teeth making him look even more sinister. "As the leader of this clan, I have to do what I have to do."

Benny smirked at Sam and threw him another blood bag. "Who's threatening you now?" Sam sucked the second blood bag dry. He could already feel himself getting stronger.

"No one at the moment," he said. "But you can never be too careful. My brother hasn't been very obedient lately."

"Ah, I see. So it's Dean," replied Benny throwing Sam his last blood bag. Sam waited a moment before drinking the last one, mainly because of Benny's comment.

"My brother is no threat to me," Sam narrowed his eyes and sucked the blood down. "He's scared of me, especially now. Just the mention of the word 'mate' sent shivers down his weak spine."

Benny started laughing. "That's what this is about? Who is it? She can't be that threatening." Sam kicked up the ground by him and hid the blood bags.

"That's the problem," he said swinging his arm around Benny's shoulder. "His mate isn't a _she_. You're going to love this. It's the town priest, Castiel."

Benny turned his head to look at Sam in the eyes, and shook his head. "Do you really expect me to believe that you're not worried now that you've told me that?" Benny knew Sam knew the lore better than anyone. He wasn't ignoring the fact his brother was destined for a same sex mate.

"Look," Sam began as he took his arm away, "as long as he's scared of me, he'll stay away from Castiel. As far as everyone in the clan knows, a same sex mate is vile and will be punished. And it is vile, but they don't know the truth. So with that said, I'm not intimidated by my brother. He's going to be a good boy and pick a nice girl and then he'll come home."

Benny nodded his head. "Whatever you say, Sam. I'll see you next time." He shook Sam's hand disappeared.

* * *

"_Dean!" screamed Jo. She sounded terrified. Dean ran into his house and saw her on the floor backed up against the wall. She stared at him with horror. "What happened to me?" she asked in a whisper. She was gripping the side of her neck. Her eyes were bloodshot and her skin had become sickly pale. _

_Dean got to his knees and moved her hand. "No…Jo," he whispered. "This wasn't supposed to happen. I'm so sorry."_

"_I warned you, Dean," said Sam as he stepped out of the shadows. "You had her chance to change her."_

Dean awoke abruptly and looked around his room mortified. He quietly sniffed the air, nothing. His brother wasn't near. His shoulders relaxed and he turned to look at the time. 7:30 a.m. on Sunday. _Time for church. _

He had been dreading the day. He looked outside and saw there was heavy cloud cover. At least he wouldn't have to worry about Castiel seeing him run inside. Maybe he would have some luck for a change and Castiel would actually believe the sun allergy excuse and ignore the past. He stepped inside his Impala and started to drive to the church. Church was the only place he drove; everything else was close enough where driving would be a waste of gas. Granted, the car would keep him out of the sun, but with the prices, he'd rather risk being burned over not being able to live away from the clan.

Dean arrived at the church and parked his car. He stepped outside, and for the first time in a long time, was able to just simply walk in without having to rush. He sat in the back as always and picked up a Bible. He focused on the word, resisting looking up at Castiel. His hands nearly twitched when he heard Castiel take his place in front of everyone. The choir began to sing and Dean joined everyone in standing. He couldn't help it now, and looked over at the priest. The man looked exhausted. Had he slept at all the past few days?

Dean kept his nose in the Bible as Castiel preached. During prayer he could feel his skin burning, emitting light steam. Why was he given this curse? Sam didn't understand. He viewed being undead as a blessing, immortality and strength. Dean viewed it as the exact opposite. He couldn't even pray without it being like a punishment. The sun burned him, and people didn't even know why they felt the natural need to be near him. Everything about vampires drew people in, which is why Dean made sure to make himself the town shut in people hardly ever saw. He went to church, and he worked, that was it.

Service ended and everyone began to leave. In that moment, Dean knew Castiel was going to follow him; he was already making his way over. Dean didn't know what to do. If he got in his car, Castiel could easily follow him home, if he tried to lose Castiel in the forest that was off limits, he would be too close to the clan, and if he stayed, he'd have to face whatever Castiel was going to say. So he did what anyone would do, he ran.

Dean was half way through the park. There were no children on the playground. The storm was getting worse. The wind started to blow easily 50 miles per hour. Lightening cracked across the sky in the distance. Dean felt relieved. Castiel would have to be insane to follow him out in this weather. To his shock, he heard Castiel's voice, "Dean!" He turned around and saw the priest behind him. "What are you doing?" he shouted to be heard over the wind. "This weather is dangerous!"

"Then why are you out here?" asked Dean turning to face him. Castiel had no response. "Castiel, just leave it alone. You don't want to be near me." Castiel gingerly placed his hand on Dean's shoulder just for Dean to quickly tear away. "Don't."

Castiel looked at him with concern. "This isn't happening," he whispered. So it was true, Dean realized. Castiel was already having the dreams. Dean shook his head lightly; he should have known from how Castiel reacted to his name before, but he didn't want to believe it.

"What isn't happening?" asked Dean in a cocky voice. "If you already know then why are you acting so brave?" Dean took a step closer to Castiel and narrowed his eyes dangerously. "You should be terrified of me."

Castiel took a step back, his eyes wide with fear. "I don't know what's happening. If you do please, please explain it to me. You're different from everyone else. Why do I always see you? I know you follow me! Why?" Castiel raised his voice angrily, but Dean could hear his heart racing in terror. Dean was thankful he didn't have a heartbeat of his own.

Dean stepped closer to Castiel until Castiel was backed up against a tree. Dean placed his hand on the tree just above Castiel's head, caging him. "Are we going to seriously play this game? Do we need the script from Twilight? How about I," Dean maneuvered to whisper in Castiel's ear, "get close to you and ask you to 'say it, out loud.'?" Dean pulled back. "Or, are we going to handle this like adults and not like horny teenage girls?" Castiel slowly nodded his head. Dean was only about 3 inches taller than him, but he felt small being trapped the way he was. He knew he was at Dean's mercy, and that was almost exciting.

"W-what are you?" he asked. He already knew, but he didn't want it to be real. Monsters weren't real. Dean gave Castiel a small smile. His gentle gesture became horrifying to Castiel when he grew out his fangs. Castiel could feel his body begin to shake.

Dean covered Castiel's mouth his free hand, "Be a good little priest and don't scream." Castiel couldn't scream is he wanted to. His whole body was frozen now, his heart raced, and his lungs were spazzing. Dean slowly moved his hand away and retracted his fangs. "Now are you going to leave?" Castiel shook his head quickly. He felt his breath hitch as he stared into Dean's emerald eyes. The same eyes and bored into his soul in his dreams. "You are one stubborn priest. Are you going to be my Bella? Tell me you're 'not afraid'. That you, 'accept me'."

Castiel shook his head again. "I am afraid," he struggled to keep his words steady. "In fact, I'm terrified right now." His voice fell into a whisper. "But there's obviously something important going on. You wouldn't have trusted me to show me what you are if there wasn't. Vampires aren't supposed to be real. So for you to reveal that to me, you must have a reason."

"I see the scare tactic doesn't work on everyone," said Dean. "So now what? Let me guess, you're going to go off and tell the other members of the church? Get a classic pitch fork and torch mob outside my house?"

"No one would believe me," replied Castiel still struggling to remain calm. He was certain his heart was going to beat its way of his chest. "So what is it you want from me?"

Dean gave Castiel a wicked half smile that formed into a cunning smirk. "I think you already know. That's why," Dean gently placed his hand on Castiel's chest, causing his breath to hitch even more than before, "you're starting to hyperventilate. That's the nice thing about being dead. I don't have to waste oxygen when I'm scared, or lusting."

Castiel narrowed his eyes, "I'm not lusting for you." Dean bit his bottom lip. He was trying to keep calm just as much as Castiel. His instincts were clawing at him from the inside. He wanted to take Castiel right there, pin him down and claim him, turn him. "But based on your assumption, I'm guessing you also have," Castiel paused, "visions."

"You mean dreams?" asked Dean in a snarky tone. "Don't be afraid to admit it. I do have them too. Vivid dreams, where I'm dominating you. Holding you down, making you mine." Dean smirked as red crept across Castiel's cheeks and his pupils slowly dilated.

Castiel kept his head high. "I want to know why, Dean." Dean nearly shivered hearing Castiel say his name in low tone. "Why you follow me. Why I dream about you."

"I tell you what," Dean brought his hand from Castiel's chest to cup his face. He traced Castiel's blush with his thumb. "Why don't you swing by my place tonight, and I'll tell you everything you want to know."

"Where can I find you?" asked Castiel. Dean traced his thumb from Castiel's cheek down to his neck before pulling away. "331A Madison drive." Castiel suddenly looked confused.

"Those apartments are empty."

Dean held up his keys. "Not all of them. I'll see you tonight." He pulled his hand away from the tree and walked away leaving Castiel. Castiel slid down to a seated position, surprised his legs didn't give out a long time ago. His breath rattled and he finally let his body shake. He stood up slowly and made his way to his car to drive home.

* * *

A loud crash echoed through Dean's apartment. He had taken his lamp and chucked it against the wall. _HOW STUPID CAN YOU GET?_ He cursed himself for what he had done, telling Castiel what he was, where he lived? He had signed his suicide note. He could only imagine who would show up at his apartment. Cops, FBI, S.W.A.T.? But he couldn't help it. Being so close to Castiel, his instincts took over. Now he had no choice but to wait. On the off chance Castiel did come alone, he didn't want to be gone for it. He sat on his bed and twiddled his thumbs waiting, yearning for Castiel to come.

* * *

Castiel could barely keep the steering wheel straight. 331A Madison drive. What was he doing? This was suicide. He was willingly going to a monsters house. But something about this monster, this vampire, drew him in. Everything about him made him accelerate his car until he reached old, worn down apartments downtown. He parked his car and grabbed his flashlight. The only light outside was from the moon and that wasn't enough to find the right number. Castiel walked up to 331A. His hand shook as he knocked. The door opened slowly letting light pour out. Dean stood in the doorway looking surprised. "You showed up," he peeked his head out the door way, "alone."

"Why would I, you know what never mind," said Castiel. "May I come in?" Dean nodded and stepped out of the way. Castiel walked inside and tried staying relaxed. His back was to Dean, so he couldn't see Dean looking him up and down. Dean licked his lips looking at Castiel, glad he was able to see his figure now that he wasn't wearing that pesky cassock. Castiel was wearing a grey button up shirt that clung to his chest tightly, and light blue jeans that matched his eyes. Dean shut the door behind them and locked it. Castiel tensed up when he heard the lock snap into place.

"Relax," said Dean seeing Castiel tense, "just locking the door like a normal person. You can leave whenever you want." He gestured for Castiel to sit down at the small table he had by his mini fridge.

Castiel sat down and waited for Dean to join him. Once Dean plopped down into his seat, Castiel took a deep breath. Castiel placed his hands together on the table, almost like he was about to pray. "First I want answers." Dean nodded and smiled, encouraging him to ask his first question. Castiel swallowed and took a deep breath. "W-why am I dreaming about you…like that…"

Dean chuckled at Castiel not being able to be blunt. "You mean why do you dream about having hot, rough, sex with me?" Castiel could feel himself blush.

"Are you going to correct me every time I choose not to be literal?" Dean shrugged his shoulders and got up from the table.

"Ever heard of the term soul mate?" he asked as he opened his mini fridge. He pulled out two beers. Vampires normally couldn't ingest anything other than blood, but with a lot of practice their bodies could slowly learn to tolerate other things. Dean found himself only able to tolerate beer, so that's what he bought. At least it was a normal drink for a guy "his age" to have.

"Thank you," said Castiel taking the beer from Dean. He took a small sip. "And of course I've heard the term soul mate. Who hasn't at a church? Every time someone gets married they're 'soul mates'."

Dean chuckled and took a sip of his beer. "Yeah, well, vampires tend to take the whole mate thing pretty seriously." Castiel nearly choked. He looked at Dean with a mixture of fear and curiosity brewing in his sapphire irises. "When it's time for a vampire to choose their mate, they start to have dreams about the person, erotic dreams. And our destined mates have the dreams too. This whole time, the main thing you've probably been trying to drill into your brain is that you're straight, right?" Castiel nodded his head. "You probably are, but I'm your exception. Everything about me is designed to draw you in. When humans are turned into us, our features are enhanced, and we have a certain essence that makes people want to be near us. That's how we would hunt in the old days. And you," Dean pointed at Castiel with his beer bottle, "it's even worse for you. My voice, my smell, everything attracts you." Dean made a sound like "hmph". "Maybe that dumb author got a few details right."

"You read those books?" asked Castiel afraid to say anything else. Dean took another few sips of beer and looked at Castiel with a sarcastic glance.

"Let me think, no. Girl where I work, big fan, doesn't shut up about it on the phone with her friends, ever," he said rotating the beer bottle on the table as if in deep thought.

Castiel could feel his heart beat speeding up again. "So I-I'm…your…"

"Destined mate," Dean finished his sentence for him, "yes." Castiel opened his mouth and Dean cut him short again, "Why you and not a woman? I have no idea. But it's," Dean paused, "it's not good."

Castiel now looked more scared than curious. "Why?"

"Because apparently, in clans, same sex mates are vile and should be violently punished, which is why I've kept an eye on you. On a rare occasion, other members of the clan can sniff out each other's mates. Not very often though," said Dean as looked at Castiel intently, as if trying to warn him.

"But if I'm supposed to be your mate," Castiel struggled to keep conscious; he felt like the room was spinning, "what do you want from me?"

Dean reached over and placed his hand on Castiel's wrist. Castiel jerked, but didn't pull away. Dean gently squeezed his wrist. "I'm supposed to turn you."

"T-turn me?" asked Castiel in a violent stutter. Dean nodded his head. He brought his hand from Castiel's wrist to his hand.

"Yes, turn you. Believe me, I'm breaking all the rules right now. When you find your mate we're supposed to 'eliminate' anyone in our way, turn our mate, and bring them back to the clan."

Castiel relaxed into Dean's touch. "What if after turned, your mate," he nearly choked on the word mate, "doesn't want to go with you? Do you knock them out and drag them or something?" Dean tried not to laugh.

"No, but when you're first turned, you're confused. You're scared and most of all you're hungry. You're so desperate for food and shelter you normally would come willingly."

"And by food, you mean blood, right?" asked Castiel feeling his hands start to shake. Dean nodded and gave Castiel's hand a light squeeze. "So what are you going do to me?"

Dean took his hand away, "I'm not going to turn you unless you want me to."

"What about your, 'clan' was it?" asked Castiel still trying to process all the information. Dean nodded. "What about your clan? Won't they be angry? Couldn't you get hurt?"

Dean gave Castiel a half smile. "I really don't give a rat's ass what my clan thinks. I'd be punished if they knew I had a same sex mate, but I'd turn you anyway if you wanted. We'd just have to leave town." Castiel raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Yeah, my clan lives in that old neighborhood everyone avoids. I'm the only one that lives away from everyone else."

"Why do you live away from them? You make it sound like your kind stays together," observed Castiel hoping he didn't offend Dean with his phrasing.

"I don't really get along with everyone," stated Dean looking the other way. He appeared to be staring into space. "I keep my distance, but our clan leader always knows where I am, at least he thinks he does." Dean glanced to see Castiel knit his eyebrows. "It's not important. Bottom line, you don't have to see me, you don't have to be turned, you don't have to do anything, unless you want it."

Castiel licked his lips nervously. "I do want to see you again. I want to know more, but for now I should go." He got out of his seat and walked over to the door. Dean got up and stood next him. Castiel's back was to the door and he instantly felt trapped again.

"Have a safe trip home," said Dean looking into Castiel's eyes.

"I will," replied Castiel looking back into Dean's eyes. They simply stared at each other for a few moments. Without warning, Dean couldn't fight back his instincts anymore and grabbed Castiel's arms, pulling the priest against him and roughly kissed him. At first Castiel was shocked, his eyes wide not knowing what to do. But as Dean maneuvered his lips expertly, he closed his eyes and began to kiss back. Dean slowly trailed his hands up Castiel's body and then wove his fingers through his hair. He pushed Castiel against the door harshly, causing Castiel's head to make a thud sound. Castiel brought his hands to Dean's neck and opened his mouth giving Dean more access. He had never felt like this before. He felt needy and was oozing lust. Dean grinded himself against Castiel's body and let out a loud moan. He moved his lips to Castiel's neck and then abruptly pulled away. Castiel was breathing heavily, and could barely admit to himself he was disappointed Dean pulled away. "What's wrong?"

Dean was also breathing heavily. "I didn't want to bite you by mistake," he said trying to catch his breath. "I'll get better control the more time I spend around you."

"Okay," was all Castiel could say. "I'll...see you?"

Dean turned to look at him. He wanted to keep going more than anything, but he knew if he took another step closer, he'd bite Castiel and turn him right there. "Yes." Castiel smiled and left the apartment. Dean plopped down on his bed and stared at the ceiling, needier than he had been in a very long time.


	4. Time

The Blood You Drink

Chapter 4: Time

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_ Dean's alarm sounded much too early for his taste. He pulled his pillow over his head and tried to block out the sound. After a moment he realized he had promised Jo he'd arrive to work early again. He would have huffed if he could, and sat up, turning off the alarm. Getting up and looking in the mirror, he could see the life draining out of him. He needed to feed badly, but he only had one blood bag left. He opened his mini fridge and sucked down half of a bag. A little color returned to his face and the bags under his eyes faded enough to where they weren't as noticeable. If anyone asked why he looked sick, he could blame it on actually being sick.

He looked out his window to see heavy cloud cover. He was thankful storm season had finally come. Looking over at his table, he saw it as if Castiel was still sitting there talking with him. Everything had gone better than expected, but he still had to be careful. If anything happened to Castiel he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. His mind raced with scenarios as he began his walk to work. The air was thick with humidity, the streets busy with people headed to their jobs.

Dean opened the door to the pet shop to be greeted by Jo, "Hey, Dean!" she said giving him a quick hug. "Thanks so much for coming early to help me."

"Don't mention it," replied Dean as he tied his apron around his waist just like always. He started sweeping the floor as he looked at all the cages, mentally making a list of what needed attention.

Jo was busy behind the counter when she spoke, "That's weird." Dean made a sound like 'hm?' and continued his work. "You didn't bring the umbrella you carry around like an extra limb," she said in a teasing voice. Dean's eyes widened. _SHIT._ He was so busy thinking about Castiel, that he completely forgot about it with the cloud cover keeping the sun off his mind.

"Must have forgotten it," observed Dean with a forced smile. "I had other things on my mind." Jo slowly approached him, like a cat prowling, making him suddenly nervous. She narrowed her eyes as if looking into his soul.

"I knew it," she said. Dean raised an eyebrow. "What's her name?" Dean would have been holding his breath if he could. He relaxed his shoulders, making it look like he sighed. "Come on. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me."

Dean rolled his eyes. "There's no girl, and you're an adult. Act like it," he gently pushed her away. Jo smirked.

"Lies, I'd know that look any day. Dean's finally in _loooove_," she teased as she happily made her way over to get cleaning supplies. "I want a name."

"Can you please act like you're in your twenties?" asked Dean more embarrassed than annoyed. He could feel himself blushing. Of all the human things he could do, he didn't like that one.

Jo walked back over to Dean and shoved a bottle of spray against his chest. "Gimme a name and I'll act like an adult," she closed her eyes and smiled like a child.

Dean had to think for a moment. What could he say? "Cassie," was what came out of his mouth. _Cassie? Are you some special kind of stupid?_

"Oooo, Cassie!" said Jo. "Where'd you meet her? You only go two places in this whole town, church and here. I don't think I've even seen you buy groceries."

Dean's mind was racing. _Come on. You've been a liar you're whole life. It's survival._ But lying to Jo was harder than he had thought. Jo was like family to him, real family. _Think, think, think. _"She's an old friend. She was in town and stopped by. I probably won't see her again."

Jo's smile faded, "That's too bad. You seem so happy today." Dean couldn't help to smile a little. He was happy. Of all the things that could have gone wrong, nothing did go wrong. When he kissed Castiel, he didn't expect Castiel to kiss him back. That was a pleasant surprise he wanted to experience again more than anything. As Dean cleaned some of the cages—the part of the job he disliked the most— with a grin and spring in his step, Jo looked at him with a soft smile. "You've got it bad."

"Shut up and clean," said Dean, his smile still going strong.

The day passed by in a quick blur. Dean spent most of the day thinking about the clan. He had noticed a few members walking by the store; one even came in and bought a dog toy. He didn't say a word to them, but he knew why they were there. Sam was getting impatient, very impatient if he was having members of the clan check on Dean during the day. Dean looked over at the calendar that hung on the wall behind the register. He had less than two weeks to turn his mate and bring them back to the clan. What was he going to do? He couldn't turn Jo, he wouldn't. But if Sam found out about Castiel, he could only imagine what would happen. He knew he would be punished, and Castiel would probably be killed. The phrase, "caught between a rock and hard place" didn't even come close to how he was feeling about the situation.

Dean looked at the time and saw his shift was just about over. Looking out the doors, he saw the sun was blazing. _Great! Now what?_ He had forgotten his umbrella, and it was too far of a walk to make without burning to death. Staying at the store until night wasn't an option. Jo would definitely ask why, and he was running out of excuses. Sure enough, about twenty minutes after his shift ended, Jo gave him a curious look, "What are you still doing here, Dean?"

Dean put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "Can't a guy hang around his work?" Jo opened her mouth to respond, but cut short by the bell of the store ringing, letting everyone know someone had come in. Dean turned and immediately felt fear brewing inside him.

"Hey, Dean," said Sam. He stepped into the store and closed his umbrella. "I thought I'd walk you home from work today." He looked over Jo and smiled. "Who's this?"

Dean looked at his brother with pure hatred. Threatening him in private was one thing, but to come to his work, the one place he had companionship and safety, that was low even for Sam. "Jo," said Dean not taking his eyes off Sam, "this is my brother, Sam. Sam, this is Jo."

Sam shook Jo's hand, "Nice to meet you. I'm surprised you can deal with my brother," he said in a joking tone. Jo giggled.

"Yeah, well, co-workers, what are you going to do?" she nudged Dean playfully. Sam laughed and handed Dean an umbrella. Dean's eyes widened slightly. How did Sam know?

"Come on little bro," said Sam gesturing towards the door. Dean unfolded the umbrella as he glared at Sam, suppressing an angry snarl.

Jo chuckled. "What is it with your family and umbrellas?"

"Long story," said Dean. He turned to face Jo and gave her a small smile. "See you tomorrow." Jo smiled in return and waved as Dean and Sam left the store. After Dean and Sam had walked down the street, Dean spoke up. "So why are you really here?"

Sam twirled his umbrella and pretended to sigh. "Can't a guy meet his brother's future mate? Thought I'd make a good impression."

"Once you're done talking bullshit, I'll listen," retorted Dean. Sam glanced around to make sure no one was near before he spoke his true intensions.

"One of the clan members said they saw you at the church," he said with danger in his voice. Dean felt like he was going to be sick. If vampires could vomit, he would have spewed everywhere by this point. "Then another said they saw the priest's car parked outside your apartment. Yes, I know where you live, Dean. It wasn't hard to figure out. Care to explain?"

Dean was on the verge of a breakdown. Everything was falling apart around him. He had to think of something quickly. "One of my co-workers invited me to attend church. I didn't want to be rude so I went the one time. And priest stopped by because he saw me there, and it was around the time that guy Matt was killed. He just wanted to be sure I was okay."

"Alright," replied Sam with a shrug. "Just wanted to be sure you remembered all the rules."

"I remember," stated Dean trying to stay relaxed. How could he not remember? It wasn't too long ago that a clan member had secretly been attending church. When they got caught, they were murdered in front of everyone else in the clan. Since vampires are damned, they viewed church as a waste of time and a threat to exposure. Whenever vampires tried to pray, they would burn slightly, almost like being in the sun. That had once caused a huge problem when someone saw, and the clan had to move.

Sam forced a smile. "Stay out of trouble little brother, and don't forget your time is running out." At that point, Dean snapped.

"Why?" he shouted. "Why is it so damn important for me to choose a mate? Every other member is going to get one, or already has one! Our numbers are fine! And you never get on one specific person like this! Why can't you just let me be?"

Sam narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on the umbrella as if it was his brother's throat. "You know better than to question me."

"Well I'm questioning you!" Dean was doing everything in his power not to feel intimidated. "I am sick of you kicking me around like a dog! I'm not interested in your title as clan leader!"

Sam backhanded Dean almost knocking him off of his feet. "That has nothing to do with this. And even if you did want my title, you are no threat to me. You will do as I say. Turn the girl," and with that said, Sam vanished. Dean held his cheek and winced in pain. He glanced back in the direction of the pet store. He couldn't let his brother win this one, no matter what.

* * *

Castiel was pacing in his living room. Taking in everything that had happened the previous night had him going on less than two hours of sleep. He had bags under his eyes and felt nauseous. He had barely eaten, and his legs were ready to give out. After making sure his cat had food, he decided to just go to Dean's apartment. Nothing else was going to help, and he had nothing to lose at this point. Getting in his car he began to drive over to the apartment complex.

Castiel's knuckles began to turn white as he gripped the steering wheel. What was he doing? He didn't even know if Dean was home, and it was rude to show up uninvited, but he felt like he didn't have a choice. He had to go back. Pulling up to the apartment, he saw light coming from the window, Dean was home. Dean walked by the window over to his mini fridge, and Castiel could see he was only in his boxers. _I have really bad timing._ Just when Castiel was about to let fear win and go home, Dean looked out his window and Castiel knew he saw. A wide smirk appeared on Dean's lips and he headed for the front door. Castiel swallowed and got out of his car. The front door opened and Dean leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed. "Well if it isn't my favorite priest," he said with a wink.

"Hello, Dean," said Castiel, feeling his stomach knot. He walked up until he stood right in front of Dean. "May I come in?" he asked trying to sound braver than he felt. Dean stepped aside and let Castiel walk in just like before.

Dean closed the door behind them, "You look like hell," he turned Castiel around to get a better look at him. "Did you sleep?"

Castiel shook his head, "Not really. Maybe an hour or two," he could feel his stomach growling in protest of not eating. He winced slightly.

"Haven't eaten either, I'm guessing," said Dean. He gingerly brushed back a stray piece of hair that was swept across Castiel's forehead. "I made a mess of you, didn't I?" he observed as he trailed his hand to Castiel's neck. "Let me make it up to you." Castiel felt like he could breathe. Dean was so close, and there was so little separating them. Only two layers of clothing were between them. Castiel felt his breath hitch as he felt Dean gently brush his lips against his own. Dean licked Castiel's bottom lip and then slowly pulled away. "I'll get dressed and I'll take you somewhere to eat." Dean gave Castiel a wink and went into his room to get changed. Castiel stood frozen, completely dazed.

Dean came out of his room wearing a green jacket over a grey t-shirt, and dark blue jeans. It was then that Castiel noticed a little gold charm on black rope that was resting around Dean's neck. Dean grabbed his house keys and umbrella, just in case. "Ready?" Castiel nodded his head and followed Dean outside. Without even thinking he walked over to his car and went to unlock it, but stopped when Dean whistled. "No offense, Cas, but that thing's a hunk of junk," he held up his car keys and gestured to the impala. "We're driving downtown in style." Castiel nearly shuttered hearing Dean call him Cas. He simply smiled at Dean and put his keys in his pocket. Dean waited for Castiel to get in the passenger seat, and then locked the car and blasted the radio. He revved the engine, backed out of the parkway, and began to speed downtown.

Castiel was gripping the dashboard as Dean drove. He had never driven so fast in his life. Dean had taken a back road where there were no lights, cops, and thankfully, no other cars. Occasionally, he drive over a small bump and caused the car to lift into the air before smacking down on the road again. He drove over another bump. "Whoo!" he shouted as the car hit the ground again. He looked over and saw Castiel's terrified expression. "You don't get out much do you?" Castiel shook his head and closed his eyes when he saw another bump in the road coming. He nearly came unglued when he felt the wheels lift off the road. "We need to change that. No mate of mine is going to be a stick in the mud," Dean looked over at Castiel and bit his bottom lip and winked playfully. Castiel thought he might be sick, if there was anything in his system to vomit. Between Dean making his stomach fill with butterflies, and the driving, he was glad he hadn't eaten.

Dean pulled up to a slightly crowded restaurant that was much further downtown than Castiel was used to. Castiel suddenly felt uneasy when he saw how many motorcycles were parked in the "handicap" lanes. Was there a gang inside? Where was he? He turned to Dean when he heard the engine of the car stop running. "Dean, where are we?"

"Just a restaurant," replied Dean. He smiled and got out of the car and opened Castiel's door for him. Castiel stepped out of the car and allowed Dean to shut the door.

"Dean," he started, "I can smell the alcohol out here." Dean laughed as he put his arm around Castiel, leading him to the doors.

"There's still food to order," he said. "Trust me. You'll like it here." Castiel relaxed his shoulders and decided to trust Dean. Dean led Castiel inside, and Castiel's stomach immediately dropped. Everywhere were men that looked like they belonged in gangs. Women wearing hardly anything waited the tables and the bar tender looked like someone out of a Rocky movie.

Castiel sat down at a table with Dean, "Dean, I'm a priest," he whispered. Dean was about to reply when a woman with blonde curls walked over to their table.

"What can I get you boys?" she asked placing her hands on the table and leaning forward. Castiel shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Dean smiled at her, "Hey, Rene, I'll take the usual," he turned to Castiel, "Cas what do you want?" Castiel seemed to snap out of a trance.

"I…um," he picked up the menu and nearly dropped it. "I'm not sure yet. Go ahead and get whatever Dean ordered."

Rene giggled, "Alright," she walked away with a sway in her hips. Dean turned to Castiel and chuckled. Castiel hid behind his menu.

"Not a word out of you," he snapped.

Dean sighed contently. "Oh dude, you have got to get out more. I've seen you with your friends at the church. Don't you guys ever go out for a drink?"

Castiel wished he could shrink and disappear in his seat. "We do go out for drink sometimes. We just go to places that are more…sophisticated."

"So you get your beer in a wine glass at the olive garden," replied Dean. Castiel sank down in his chair slightly. Dean rolled his eyes and tried not to laugh.

Rene returned with a beer for Dean, "Have you decided?" she asked turning to Castiel. Castiel nodded and handed her the menu.

"I'll just have burger," he said. Rene smiled and skipped away. Castiel let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his eyes. He ran his fingers through his hair and placed his hands on the table.

Dean reached over and put his hand over Castiel's. "Listen, if this place makes you that uncomfortable we can just—"

"No," said Castiel shaking his head. "You're right. I need to just relax. I'm sure we'll have a good time here." He smiled softly and Dean nearly melted at the sight. Crystal blue eyes and a perfect smile, Castiel was absolutely perfect. Dean smiled back and squeezed Castiel's hand.

Rene brought Castiel his food and left quickly, knowing she wasn't going to be getting anywhere with either of the boys. She had seen them holding hands and instantly was bummed out. The cute ones always swung the other way.

Castiel ate slowly knowing he might get sick if he ate as fast as he wanted to. Dean drank his beer while keeping an eye on the billiards table. Castiel followed his gaze. "What are you looking at?" he asked. Dean gestured to a man that was currently taking his turn in the game.

"He and I have a bit of a rivalry in the game," he said with a small laugh. Castiel looked at him questioningly. "Look I may be the town shut in that people never see other than at work and church, but this is downtown. Nothing's weird out here. So I come here a lot just to get away. I know a lot of the folks here." He gestured to the bar tender, "That's Harry. He looks like a tough guy but he's got a yorkie at home the size of a tea cup." He pointed his beer at a brunette waitress. "That's Grace. Complete man hater. She went lezbo last year and has an on and off thing with Britney back there," he pointed at another brunette that had pecked a kiss on Grace's lips. He turned back to Castiel and laughed. "What's with the look?"

Castiel hadn't realized he had been giving Dean any type of look. He licked his lips nervously. "I guess I just never thought of you as someone that was, well, social. It's kind of nice. I like it," the corners of his mouth rose. Dean smirked.

"There's lots you don't know about me, baby," he said. Castiel felt his cheeks turn red. Dean stood up and gestured for Castiel to follow him. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" asked Castiel. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and tossed it aside as he got to his feet. Dean walked over to the billiards table and waited for Castiel to join him.

"We are going to play some pool," said Dean picking up a cue stick. He grabbed a second one and handed it to Castiel. Before Castiel could protest, the man Dean had spoken about stepped forward.

"Back for more, Dean?" he asked. He was a thin man with dark brown hair and a cigarette in his mouth. He pulled out a wad of cash from his leather jacket pocket. He slapped it down on the table.

Dean pulled out his own money and smacked it down with the other pile, "Keep talking tough, Ricky. You and Miles against me and Cas here." He grabbed a cube of chalk and slicked it on the tip of the cue. "I'll break."

"Um, Dean," mumbled Castiel. Dean positioned himself at the end of the table and shot the cue ball. He smirked when he sank both the 3 ball and the 6 ball.

"We're solid. Your turn, Cas," he said stepping aside.

Castiel suddenly felt very embarrassed and uncomfortable with the three men staring at him, waiting. "Dean," he said to where Dean was the only one that could hear him. Dean made his way over to Castiel. "I don't know how to play; I don't want you to lose your money." Dean came up behind Castiel and moved him to be in the position to take his turn. He kept both arms around Castiel and placed his hand over the priest's. Castiel felt slightly awkward having Ricky and Miles watching, but neither seemed to care. With Dean's help, Castiel was able to make a shot.

Castiel was surprised when he and the others actually got along. He drank a beer alongside Dean while they played a few rounds of billiards. For the first time in a long time, he felt relaxed; he felt like he could just have some fun for a change. He wasn't on call, he wasn't praying over anyone, he was just out with a friend having a good time. That's when it dawned upon him. Dean wasn't a friend, he barely knew him. But everything about Dean made him feel like he had known him forever. He felt himself slowly giving into Dean; even the idea of being turned didn't seem so bad, and he wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

Dean and Castiel left about an hour after their games were finished. Dean took the same back road home, which would have made Castiel nervous had he not been a tad tipsy. Dean knew the road well, which was good since his headlights did little to help him see at the speed he was driving. His senses as a vampire did help, however. Castiel yelled when they went over a bump, but instead of panicking, he laughed. Dean laughed with him and cheered every time the car was airborne.

Dean pulled into the apartment parkway and turned off the engine. "I had a good time," he said. Castiel nodded.

"I did too," he replied. Both men got out of the car and went to the front. They leaned against the hood the car and looked up at the sky. Where Dean lived, you could actually see some of the stars. "Thank you for everything."

"Not a problem," said Dean. "Hey are you okay to drive home?"

"Actually, not quite yet. I'm almost at 100 percent, but I don't think driving would be a good idea." Dean took Castiel's hand and led him to the apartment.

"Then come inside for a while," he said as he led Castiel inside. Castiel let out a sigh and sat down at the table. Dean walked over to his bed and took off his jacket, tossing it aside on the floor. He sat down and ran his fingers through his hair. Exhaustion was beginning to take him over. As he stood up he stumbled and fell to his knees.

"Are you okay?" asked Castiel as he knelt down by Dean. Dean shook his head. His skin had turned sickly pale and dark circles formed under his eyes again. It was much worse than before.

"Cas, get out of here!" he choked out. He was becoming desperate to feed, and since he was supposed to choose and change his mate, it was making instincts worse. His body shook as he tried to stand. "Please, you have to leave."

Castiel shook his head and helped Dean sit down on the bed. "I'm not leaving you." Dean shoved Castiel away.

"Go! I have to feed _now_. I don't want to hurt you," he said as he made his way over to the mini fridge. With shaky hands he pulled out the last blood bag and sucked down what was left. He tossed the bag aside, "It won't be enough. I'll collapse again." He sat back down on the mattress and stared at the floor. He would have to kill soon.

Castiel sat down next to him and caught his gaze with deep concern. "What will happen to you if you don't drink any blood?" He was scared for Dean's answer. Would Dean die?

"I'll go mad. I'll hunt and kill until I either snap out of it, or someone stops me. I don't know what I can do right now," replied Dean. He knew he could always return to the clan and ask for help, but he would rather die than receive assistance from his brother.

Castiel took a deep breath. "Dean, when you feed off of a person, do you _have_ to drink all of their blood?"

Dean shook his head, "No, I can just," his eyes widened, "Cas, no!" he backed away from Castiel. "No! I won't drink your blood!"

"Dean, I'm offering," shouted Castiel. "Please. I don't want anything bad to happen to you." He looked at Dean with desperation flowing through the river in his eyes. Dean gently cupped Castiel's face. What if he killed him? What if he _changed_ him? Castiel tilted his head, giving Dean access to his neck. Dean could feel his fangs coming out without his permission. Castiel closed his eyes and waited. He winced when he felt his flesh punctured. Dean's free hand snaked around Castiel and pulled him close. Castiel reached up put his hand on the back of Dean's neck, his other hand on Dean's back. They sat there in the same position for several moments. Castiel moaned slightly at the feeling of his blood being drained. There was something pleasurable about the sensation. "Dean…s-stop," he whispered as he began to feel lightheaded.

Dean managed to control his urges and pulled away, "Are you alright?" Castiel nodded his head. He felt nervous seeing his own blood splashed on Dean's teeth and lips, just like in his dreams. Dean hadn't moved his hand away from Castiel's face, and decided to use that to his advantage, pulling Castiel in for a kiss. Castiel felt the same terror and pleasure from tasting his own blood off of Dean's lips. Dean parted his lips and Castiel ran his tongue over Dean's teeth, taking in more. He pulled away slowly, wanting to change Castiel more than anything in that moment. "Thank you."

"Are you better?" asked Castiel. "Do you need anymore?"

"That could kill you. I'm fine, I promise," replied Dean with a small smile. Castiel's concern and generosity made him feel happier than he had felt in a very long time. "You should get home and get some rest."

Castiel slowly stood up. "Okay," he said. Dean stood up alongside him and kissed him again. They pecked kisses at each other all the way out to Castiel's car. Castiel got in his car and waved. Dean waved back and watched as Castiel drove away into the night. He grinned and made his way back inside. He lay on his bed and drifted to sleep peacefully.

**Hey everyone! Thanks for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Hopefully I'll be updating soon! Be sure to let me know your thoughts in a review! And check out my other work for more stories if you liked it! Thanks again! Bye bye~**


	5. Threat

The Blood You Drink

Chapter 5: Threat

Castiel lay in bed sound asleep. Once he returned home from Dean's apartment, he changed into sleepwear and crashed out the moment his head connected with his pillow. Normally, he slept quietly and lightly. That night, he snored loudly and nothing had a chance of waking him except his alarm clock. When his alarm sounded in the morning, he woke up with a startle. He reached over and switched off his alarm and wiped away the drool that was smeared across the left side of his face. He put his face in his pillow and groaned. Despite sleeping soundly, he was exhausted and would have given anything for a few more hours. Just when he was about to slip back into the dream world, his second alarm blared throughout the room, reminding him he had a scheduled meeting with Amelia. He dragged himself out of bed and walked into his bathroom to get ready.

Castiel stepped out of the shower and tied a towel around his waist. He winced, his neck felt sore. As he wiped away the steam from the mirror he noticed something off. He turned his head and saw that Dean had left a mark on his neck. There was scaring around two puncture wounds that had clogged up with blood and scab. The scaring was an angry red and there was no way he could hide it. Castiel sighed; at least he was going to wear his cassock.

He parked his car in Amelia's driveway. The car's obnoxious engine cut out in sputters when he turned it off. He was already missing that beautiful impala. Barely able to admit it, he was also missing Dean, despite the pain in his neck that seemed to be getting worse. He stepped out of the car and rang Amelia's doorbell. The door opened and Amelia smiled sweetly, "Hey, Castiel. Thank you for coming."

"It's my pleasure, Amelia," said Castiel as he walked inside her home. He sat down the couch across from her chair just like always. "How are you recently?"

Amelia slowly sat down in her chair and took a cup of tea into her hands, "I'm," she paused, "I'm recovering slowly. Without Matthew, things are more difficult. Between the mortgages, the other bills, work, and now I'm taking college courses, it all seems like so much."

"But you're pulling through," observed Castiel. "Keeping your faith is the key here." Amelia gave Castiel a small smile.

"I am, but Castiel, may I ask you something?" she questioned. Castiel nodded his head and raised the corners of his mouth, encouraging her. "Have you ever been in love?" The question nearly sent Castiel into shock. He shifted uncomfortably; he had been in love once before. Knowing the pain of losing the one you love, he could relate to Amelia. He simply nodded again, not meeting her gaze. Amelia saw the look on Castiel's face, and instantly she knew. "You lost the one you loved too…" Again, Castiel nodded. "Have you ever felt yourself…falling in love a second time?" In that moment, Castiel's heart dropped into his stomach. Falling in love a second time is what he feared the most, it's why he became a priest. But in the back of his mind, he knew was starting to fall again. Dean had warned him that everything would draw him in like a moth to a flame, but he didn't expect it to actually happen.

"Possibly," he replied. He brought the back of his hand to his mouth and tilted his head away from Amelia. He couldn't believe he had just admitted to it. To Amelia, it probably sounded like he had found a nice girl at the church. Amelia smiled at him as if that was her exact thought. Castiel felt embarrassed and nearly ashamed at how wrong she was.

Setting the cup of tea on the table, Amelia took a deep breath. "Can I have a name?" she asked. Castiel bit his bottom lip.

"Um, well, I think we're getting a bit off track. I mean," he tried to gather his thoughts, "it's good you've found someone to love again. Let's focus on that. May I ask who it is?" Amelia's cheeks lit up red. She shifted in her seat and stared at her hands.

"Well," she began, "I don't really know how to say it. I don't see it working out, no matter how much I would want it to. And I don't know how you would react. You might think of me as ridiculous and I—"

"Amelia," Castiel interrupted her, "anything you tell me stays between us. You've shared many secrets with me. If this is something you need to get off of your chest, you can." He smiled at her softly, "Just tell me who it is," he spoke gently, trying to make her feel secure.

Amelia lifted her eyes to meet Castiel's. A single tear rolled down her cheek, "You." Castiel's smile faded. No. His hands tightened into fists on his lap. What could he say? Amelia had already suffered so much, so he didn't want to cause her any pain. Amelia noticed his discomfort. "I told you, you would think of me as ridiculous," she stated, feeling humiliated.

"You're not ridiculous," said Castiel as he ran his fingers through his hair, feeling stress make his whole body feel weak. He hoped it was stress, and not blood loss. "It's very flattering, but I can't be involved with anyone."

"You said you were falling for someone!" retorted Amelia beginning to feel hurt. "Who could it possibly be? There are almost _no_ single women in this small town. And if there are, they're all underage! Crushing on a minor or something?"

"_Now_ you're being ridiculous!" shouted Castiel. He stood up and started to leave. Amelia rushed to her feet and grabbed his arm, making him turn around. She reached up and placed her hand right where Dean had bitten Castiel. Castiel cried out in pain and tore away from her touch. "Don't!" was all he could say.

Amelia reached out to him again. "What's wrong?" she asked, her anger replaced with concern. Castiel had his hand firmly on his neck despite the pain that was shooting through him, stinging him.

"Nothing, I slept wrong and I have a kink in my neck," he answered. He backed away from her touch and thanked God he was wearing his cassock. He knew Amelia well enough to know she was stubborn. If he had been wearing anything else, she would have made sure to get a look at his neck to see if he was hurt.

"I can help," she reached for Castiel just to face rejection again. "Why won't you let me help you? If it's just a kink I can—"

"Amelia," Castiel cut her short again, "no. It's complicated. Just, please, leave it alone." Amelia retracted her arm. Tears welled in her eyes and she nodded her head as she turned away.

"You should go," she whispered. Castiel felt terrible. His expression turned from panicked to sympathetic in an instant, but before things could get worse, he left without saying another word. Little did he know that a certain emerald-eyed vampire had seen and heard the whole incident.

* * *

The day seemed to drag on forever. By the time the moon was set high in the sky, Dean felt like an eternity had passed. He walked through the empty streets, his eyes forward, his mission clear. Amelia was in the way. End of story. Part of him wanted to turn around. Part of him didn't think of her as a threat at all, but the strong part of him, the instinctive part, told him that she was a threat to him and his mate, and she needed to go.

He approached her house, expecting her to be asleep, but through the window he could see her lying on the couch watching TV. He silently cursed; breaking in undetected wasn't going to be as easy as he had planned. He went around back and used his inhuman strength to the open the window. Crawling inside silently, he got to his feet and began to make his way towards Amelia. Amelia sat up and muted the TV. Dean stopped moving, she knew. She slowly lifted away her blanket and got to her feet. Dean turned the corner and slipped into a different room. Amelia instinctively pulled out her cell phone and dialed. Dean could hear her voice mumbling, but he was too weak to hear Amelia word for word. Even after feeding on Castiel, he wasn't at full strength. He suddenly felt worried. What if Amelia was calling the cops? He had to work fast.

Amelia walked past the room, and stopped dead in her tracks. She saw Dean in the moonlight that was shining through the window in the room. She screamed and started to run, but Dean was right in front of her in the blink of an eye. Dean felt his instincts taking over more than before. "So you've got a thing for the priest, hm?"

"What do you want?" asked Amelia as she backed away. Dean moved forward, staring her down like a predator. "Just leave me alone!"

Dean backhanded Amelia causing her to stumble. "I want you out of my way," he growled. Amelia grabbed the lamp that rested on the nearby end table and swung at Dean with it like a baseball bat. Dean caught the lamp in mid-swing and tossed it aside. Amelia screamed again and tried to run. She pulled out her cell phone just to have Dean snag it from her; he crushed it with his bare hand. "You won't be needing that."

"Please!" screamed Amelia as tears poured down her face. Her whole body trembled. She held out her arms submissively. "Please don't hurt me! I'll do whatever you want! Just don't hurt me!" Her arms shook and she nearly tripped over the rug. As she lost her balance, Dean caught her. He tightened his grip on her aggressively.

"That's the thing, sweetheart," he said. "You won't do what I want. And even if you did, Castiel's still got a soft spot for you."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Amelia choked no her words. Tears continued to flow. She had never been so scared. She couldn't even try to wiggle out of Dean's grasp. Dean had her caged in his arms like a Venus flytrap. "And what do you care?" she asked becoming hysterical. "I don't even know you!"

"What do I care?" repeated Dean. "Castiel belongs to me, bitch." He swept Amelia's hair away from her neck. "He always has been."

Amelia let out a sob. "What are you talking about?" she screamed. Dean wrapped his hand around her jaw and pushed back, giving himself more access to the veins that ran through her neck.

"I could tell you, it really doesn't matter. You wouldn't live long enough to tell anyone, but I'm wasting time, aren't I?" his voice dropped into a whisper. "This is what happens when you get in my way." Amelia screamed as she felt Dean's fangs sink into her flesh. Dean sucked her blood as quickly he as could. With all the screaming and the phone call, he knew there would be police coming at any moment. Suddenly the front door swung open, but it wasn't police, it was Castiel. Dean dropped Amelia in an instant. "Cas?" he whispered. He reached up and touched his lips, realizing he was covered in blood, Amelia's blood. He felt mortified; he must have looked like a monster.

"Dean?" shouted Castiel with confusion. He glanced down to see Amelia on the floor, her eyes pale and lifeless. "Amelia!" he dove down to his knees and lifted her head. "Dean why would you do this?" he asked looking up at Dean with terror in his eyes.

Everything seemed to snap into place. Dean blinked a few times, as if coming out of a trance. "Cas…I…I'm so sorry."

"Sorry!" screamed Castiel. "You're sorry?" he set Amelia down gently and stood up to properly meet Dean's gaze. "Why? Why her? She didn't do _anything_!"

Dean looked at Castiel like he was wounded. "I didn't mean to!" Castiel looked at Dean like he was crazy. "It was instinct, okay? I had no choice!"

"Choice?" questioned Castiel. "What are you talking about instinct? What does she have to do with anything?"

"She was in the way!" shouted Dean. He felt like the whole world was crashing down on him. If he lost Castiel, he would lose everything.

"In the way? What just because she had feelings for me?" screamed Castiel as tears formed in his eyes. He may not have had romantic feelings for Amelia, but she was a good friend, and now she was gone. "Is this what you do? You kill everyone that—" Castiel stopped. Without warning, the news about Hannah rushed through his mind. He remembered being told about the two puncture wounds on her neck. He saw the image of his own puncture wounds in the mirror from earlier in the day. "You…" he whispered. "You killed Hannah. Didn't you?" he swung at Dean. Dean's face barely turned to the side when Castiel's fist made the connection. Castiel held his fist in pain.

"I didn't have a choice," replied Dean. "She…she wanted to sleep with you and I couldn't let that happen." He felt like an idiot.

Castiel held his fist and looked at Dean with pure confusion. "What? How could you even know that?" his voice was starting to crack.

Dean felt tears of his own gathering in his eyes. Seeing Castiel, his mate, so hurt, scared, and angry with him, it was killing him. "Because I heard her say it. Vampires, we start dreaming about our mates long before you start dreaming about us. I was keeping an eye on you, making sure you were safe. You had just gone home, and I heard Hannah writing in her journal. She was going to talk to you about having sex, and I couldn't let it happen."

"Why not?" yelled Castiel. "I never would have, but even if I had, why would you care?" Tears began to drop down Castiel's cheeks as remembered the night he received the call about Hannah's death. He remembered the devastation losing the one person he loved more than anyone at the time.

"Because…I can't turn you if you're not pure," stated Dean. Castiel looked at him in shock. "In order to become a vampire, you have to be a virgin. I don't know why. No one really knows why, but that's how it is. If you had slept with her, I would have never been able to turn you. So when I found out, instinct took over. When we find our mate, we do what we have to. Vampires mate for life." Castiel continued to stare at Dean looking shell shocked and terrified. Dean looked back with desperation. "You mean more to me than life itself. Well, undead life. So I did what I had to," a few stray tears trailed down Dean's face. "I'm sorry."

Castiel felt like he was breaking. Why was this happening to him? The woman he had loved was dead, and his friend was dead, all because of him. And the worst part was, he wasn't even remotely angry with Dean. It was almost like he understood. How could he understand killing people? But for some reason he felt only despair for the ones lost, no anger or resentment. "We should go," he said. Dean looked up at him. "Before the cops show up, come on. I didn't see your car out front, we'll take mine." Dean followed Castiel outside and got in the passenger side of the car. Castiel's pathetic engine made its best attempt to roar to life, and Castiel drove to Dean's apartment.

Once inside the apartment, Castiel sat down on Dean's bed and stared at the floor. Dean sat down next to him and slowly placed his hand atop Castiel's. He was surprised when Castiel didn't pull away, and eased into his touch. "Thank you," were the only words he could find.

"Matthew," started Castiel, "did you kill him too?"

Dean wove his fingers through Castiel's and scooted closer, "In my defense, I needed to feed, and guy was a dick." Castiel stifled a chuckle. It wasn't funny, but it at the same time it was. "Cas, I never meant to hurt you. When it comes to you, I'll do anything."

"I can't believe I'm saying this…but I understand," said Castiel confused with his own words. "I'm guessing it's the whole 'mate' thing. It's like I'm connected to you. Like I can feel how desperate you were to make sure I could be with you."

Dean managed a small smile. "We are connected. We are in ways that even I can't explain. Just know that I'll do anything to protect you."

"Let me ask you something, Dean," Castiel looked up into Dean's eyes. "What happens the longer I go without being changed?"

Dean struggled to look Castiel in the eye and tell him the truth, "Anyone that gets close to you…I'll want to kill."

Castiel leaned towards Dean, leaving only centimeters between them, "Then change me," he whispered. He gingerly pressed his lips against Dean's. Dean was surprised that Castiel had been the one to initiate the kiss. He melted against Castiel, snaking his arms around the priest. He kept one hand on Castiel's back and brought the other up to the back of Castiel's head, tugging at his hair roughly. Castiel started to kiss Dean with more aggression. He sank his teeth into Dean's bottom lip and tugged back. Dean moaned and started to bite back, making sure his fangs wouldn't come out and hurt Castiel. He brought his hands to Castiel's chest and started to unbutton his shirt. Castiel parted Dean's lips with his tongue and ran his tongue over Dean's hungrily. He moaned and tugged at Dean's belt impatiently. He moved his lips and trailed kisses from Dean's jaw to his neck, sucking and nibbling as he pulled at Dean's jeans.

Without warning, Dean's phone sounded, and Dean groaned as he pulled away from Castiel and answered, "What?" he asked sharply, sounding like he was out of breath.

"Little brother," said Sam as a smirk formed on his lips. "I stopped by your work, and I said hi to your girlfriend." Dean's sat up straight, his eyes widening in fear.

"What did you do to her?" he asked trying to keep his voice steady. There was no response. He looked at his phone to see Sam had hung up. "Dammit!" he yelled as he stood up and grabbed his car keys.

"Dean, what's going on?" asked Castiel also getting to his feet. Dean grabbed his house keys and opened the front door. "I'll explain on the way."

The moment Castiel was in his seat, Dean locked the car and sped off into the night. Castiel found himself clutching the dashboard much like before. "Dean! What's happening?"

"It's my brother," said Dean tightening his grip on the steering wheel imagining it as his brother's throat. "He's the clan leader and he's expecting everyone to choose a mate to keep our numbers up, especially me. He thinks the girl at my work, Jo, is my mate. He said if I don't change her he will! He just called me saying he was over there. I can't let him do this!" Castiel became like a statue, frozen with fear. Dean had spoken of the clan like it was a cult he was trying to escape. And now the clan leader was Dean's own brother.

As the pet store came into sight, Dean slammed on the breaks and turned the wheel tightly, causing the car to skid across the parking lot until it abruptly stopped right in front of the doors. He and Castiel quickly got out of the car and Dean tried to use his keys to the store to find the door was already open. "Jo!" he screamed as he ran inside. "Jo, where are you?"

"She's not here, Dean," said Sam as he turned on the lights to the store. Dean was struck with horror when he saw how much of a mess the store was. Jo must have put up a fight. Items from shelves were strewn across the floor, animals were still squeaking in fear, and the table set up in the back with pamphlets on animal care was upside down. "She put up a fight, but she's not here." Castiel stood right behind Dean and to the side just enough to see Sam. He was shaking like the Chihuahua's in the back of the store. Sam caught Castiel's eye and made a "tsk, tsk" sound. "Dean, Dean, Dean, you should have known better than to bring him here with you."

Dean bared his fangs at his brother and stuck his arm out protectively in front of the priest. "Leave him out of it! He has nothing to do with it!" Sam threw his head back as he laughed.

"He has everything to do with it, Dean," he said in a condescending tone. "I mean he's the reason you started becoming more reserved a few years ago. You didn't want me to know, but I know everything."

"You don't know me _or_ him!" shouted Dean.

Sam smirked and bared his own fangs in an eerily psychotic manner. "I know he's your mate." Dean swallowed and felt as if his body was collapsing. He took a step back, making sure Castiel backed away with him. "Let's see." Sam glanced at Castiel's neck. Since Dean had previously started to unbutton Castiel's shirt, Sam could barely see a nasty blotch of red. Sam used inhuman speed to rip away some of the fabric of Castiel's shirt, and get back to where he was standing all before Dean or Castiel could react. Now he could easily see the two puncture wounds on Castiel's neck. "And now I know you're already half way done changing him."

"Just leave it alone, Sam!" yelled Dean backing away more. "Bring Jo home, and Cas and I will leave. You won't have to see us again. Punish me first if you have to. Just don't hurt either of them. Please." Sam simply shook his head slowly. "Then I'll fight you if I have to."

"You know you can't win," said Sam. "You know that all too well. So here's what you're going to do. You're going to come home, hand over the priest, and change the girl."

"And if I don't?" asked Dean in the bravest tone he could muster up. Sam smiled in a way to make sure both Dean and Castiel could see his fangs.

"I'll kill the girl and the priest. And let you live to remember it was all your fault. You have until the last night. If you don't come home by then, you can kiss them both goodbye. See you soon, little bro," Sam left so quickly it was as if he had vanished.

Castiel almost lost his balance since his body was shaking so violently. "D-Dean," he stuttered as he started to fall. Dean turned around and caught the priest in his arms, steadying him.

"Whoa, whoa, easy," he said in a soothing tone. "I'm going to fix this I promise. I won't let my brother hurt you or anyone else." Castiel clung to Dean like a child. Death was never something he feared, but everything was coming down on him at once. People were dying, people were being kidnapped, and he was being threatened to be killed. "Come on we've got to go." Dean led Castiel out to the car and started to drive to Castiel's home.

"What are you doing?" asked Castiel trying to calm himself down. He was barely able to buckle the seat belt.

Dean suddenly felt guilt wash over him. This was his fault. Castiel being threatened, Jo being kidnapped, it was all because of him. "You need to pack your things." Castiel looked at Dean questioningly. "Cas you can't go back home. Ever. You have to stay with me if you want to stay alive. My brother will you hunt you down. We have to get Jo, and then I've got to get you both somewhere safe."

"So that's it," said Castiel. "I can never come back. I have to disappear." Dean pulled up into Castiel's driveway and turned off the car, leaving them in silence. He felt a single tear roll down his cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Cas. This is all my fault," he said quietly. Castiel reached over and gently turned Dean's head to look at him.

"This is your brother's fault, not yours. You're doing everything you can to protect me and Jo. You're sticking your neck out for us. It's a lot for me to take in, that I have to leave everyone I know and start over, but if I'm with you I know I can get through it. We're going to save that girl, and we're going to get you away from your brother for good." Dean unbuckled his seatbelt so he could lean over and peck Castiel on the lips as a thank you. The vampire and the priest went inside the house and started packing everything they would need.

As Castiel stuffed his belongings into a suitcase, he came across the box of Hannah's things. For the first time, he looked at the box and didn't feel sad. He felt grateful that Hannah was safe. He put the box in his closet where it belonged, knowing it was just another thing that would pull him away from where he truly belonged. He wasn't sure where that was, but he knew wherever it was, it was with Dean.

**Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm having a lot of fun writing this so I hope you like it. Be sure to leave me a review telling me your thoughts, and check out my other work for more stories. Thanks again! Bye bye~**


	6. Cure

The Blood You Drink

Chapter 6: Cure

Dean drove all night. Castiel had fallen asleep in the passenger seat and was snoring lightly. Dean occasionally looked over to make sure Castiel was okay. He felt paranoid that his brother had done something, but he knew Castiel was fine. Thankful it was easy for him to stay awake at night, he kept driving until they were far enough away from the town that no one would know him or the priest. He pulled up to a small roadside motel and went inside to get a room. He glanced back at Castiel to make sure they weren't followed. Going back out to the car, he opened the passenger door and shook Castiel awake. Castiel groaned and smacked Dean away without opening his eyes. Dean rolled his eyes, "Fuck it." He scooped up Castiel and carried him to the room after kicking the car door shut.

He struggled to open the door carrying Castiel's dead weight, but managed. The room was small and smelled like bug spray, not a good sign. Dean lay Castiel on the king size bed and kicked off his shoes. He threw his jacket on the nightstand and lay down. Sleep seemed like an impossible thing to acquire at the time. Castiel's snoring faded, making Dean feel compelled to stay awake, but reminded himself that they were safe. He tossed and turned feeling disgusted with himself. He got himself and Castiel to safety, but Jo was back with the clan, probably scared, being bled out, and being kept just barely alive.

Castiel was in a deep sleep, but part of him could sense that something was wrong. He shifted in his sleep and started to wake up. "Dean?" he groaned as he propped himself up on one elbow. He could barely see the outline of Dean's face from the moonlight shining through the window near the bed. "What's wrong?"

Dean immediately knew Castiel woke up because of him. Since Castiel was halfway through the process of being changed, he was already starting to develop instincts that would connect him to Dean. Dean rolled over to face Castiel, "Sorry I woke you. And it's nothing."

"You don't have to lie," said Castiel scooting over closer to Dean. "I don't know how I know, but I know something's bothering you. It's like it woke me up."

Dean chuckled, "It did wake you." Castiel looked at Dean questioningly. Dean could barely see Castiel's expression with his heightened senses. "When I fed from you, it was the first step in changing you. That's why you can sense something's wrong," Dean paused, making sure to choose his words carefully, "that's why you understood my actions towards Hannah and Amelia."

"You mean I understand why you killed them," replied Castiel. Dean forced a small smile.

"It's my job to correct _you _when you choose not to be literal," he said. Castiel smiled and chucked, letting his head fall to his pillow.

"So," he began, "if I'm already halfway done being changed, what's left? Shouldn't you change me now? I'd be stronger."

Dean shook his head, "No, not yet. When you're first changed, you're weak. You're so hungry and you're too busy getting used to not breathing and not having a heartbeat. You're better like this. And to answer your question, in order to change you, I have to drink your blood, and you have to drink mine." Castiel's eyes widened in shock.

"While I'm still human?" he asked. The thought of consuming blood still came across as disgusting and left him feeling nauseous.

"Don't worry," started Dean with a small laugh, "even just a few drops will be enough. Most vampires are assholes and would make you drink a lot, but I remember how bad it tastes when you're human."

Castiel maneuvered closer to Dean, "Dean," he began, "I hope I'm not intruding, but how old are you? I mean you've obviously been around a while."

"Old."

Castiel suddenly felt disappointed. "I can't have a number?" he asked. He felt trust should be a mutual thing between them. He was trusting Dean with everything, so Dean should at least trust him with his real age.

Dean stared at the ceiling and made a clicking sound like a clock with his tongue. Castiel looked at him confused and slightly uncomfortable. Dean turned to look at the priest. "Hear that?" Castiel nodded yes. "I don't hear anything. After you change, time just kind of stops. Most vampires keep track of how old they are because the older you are the stronger you are. It's this stupid pride thing. I didn't keep track personally because I never wanted this. My brother reminds me of my age all the time though." Dean paused. "I'm 635 years old. Just four years older than Sam."

"That's…old," Castiel stifled a laugh. Dean pushed Castiel's face away mumbling "shut up". "So what's the plan? We obviously have to have something worked out to save Jo."

"I called up an old friend. He's going to help us. At least, I hope he will. He knows my brother, but they never got along, so I'm hoping he'll take our side."

"And if he doesn't?" asked Castiel feeling himself tense up. Dean reached over and put his finger tips over Castiel's palm. He gently rubbed his thumb over the center of Castiel's palm. It was a simple, caring gesture.

"Then I don't know," he whispered keeping up a steady motion. He maneuvered to make room for Castiel. "Come here. Please." Castiel wiggled over to Dean and laid his head on Dean's chest gently. The position felt strange at first. He had cuddled before, but it was always Hannah that curled up to him. Now he knew why Hannah liked to snuggle up to him; Dean made him feel secure. It was eerily silent, something was off, and then he remembered Dean didn't have a heartbeat for him to listen to. He was starting to feel exhausted again, and as soon as Dean's arm was firmly around him, he fell to sleep.

Morning came and Dean was the first to awaken. He looked to see Castiel still sound asleep curled up to him. Smiling, he gingerly placed his hand over Castiel's heart to feel it beat. Something so simple, so normal, but he had long forgotten what it felt like. Dean felt relaxed; Castiel's heartbeat was slow and steady. When Dean normally heard Castiel's heartbeat, it had been fast paced from him being either scared or nervous, but now, he could feel it and it was stable and left him without any worry.

Castiel slowly awoke, and his heartbeat immediately picked up the pace. Dean's smile stayed present despite this. He was just glad his priest had slept soundly. Castiel readjusted himself and laid his head in the crook of Dean's neck. "Good morning," he said in a low, sleepy voice. His voice sent pleasurable chills up Dean's spine.

"Good morning," replied Dean in the same type of low, tired voice. His voice had the same effect on Castiel. "We should get going." He didn't want to let go, but they had to hurry. Castiel got up and went to the restroom to take a shower, and Dean double checked the location he needed to meet his mystery person at.

Castiel came out into the room wearing a towel around his waist. Dean nearly dropped his cell phone at the perfect sight. Castiel felt himself blush. "Sorry, I forgot my clothes," he said as he started rummaging through his bag.

"It's fine, you just took me by surprise," stated Dean. He couldn't help but to stare at the tattoo that took up almost all of Castiel's back. He had a very well done, detailed tattoo of angel wings on his back. The nubs of the wings were detailed with shadows, and the feathers looked light and fluffy, spread across his back all the way down to his waist.

Castiel turned around holding his clothes and noticed Dean's intense stare. "What is it? Oh. My tattoo?" Dean nodded. "Yeah. I got it when I turned 18. I grew up with angel statues in my room. You know how the stereotypes go with religious families. 'Angels are watching over you'. All that. But I liked it and decided to get a tattoo my parents might actually somewhat approve of." Dean found himself smiling softly. He felt like he could cry. Castiel looked at Dean with curiosity and concern. "What is it?"

"Oh, um," stuttered Dean realizing Castiel wasn't exactly blind. "When I was a kid, way before I was changed, my mother used to tell me angels were watching over me. Every single night she'd say that to me. When I got older she would say that, and then she would tell me that one day the Lord would send me an angel. 'Dean, I promise you the Lord will send you an angel'. That was the last thing my mom said to me…"

Castiel's eyebrows knit. "The last thing she said to you? Dean, what happened? Was she…" he didn't know if he should finish his sentence.

"Killed by a vampire?" Dean finished for him. "Yeah. That's actually why Sam and I ended up changed. He, my dad, and I all hunted that vampire down. The vampire killed my dad and changed me and Sam."

"Dean…I'm so sorry," said Castiel. "One moment," he quickly went into the restroom and dressed himself in jeans a blue shirt. He came back out and immediately embraced Dean. "I'm so sorry." Dean hugged him back and closed his eyes. Castiel waited a minute before continuing. "But I'm confused. I thought vampires only changed people when it was their mate."

Dean pulled away from Castiel's grip. "That's usually how it is. But the vampire that changed me was creating an army. He wanted vampires to become the superior race. But of course he was stopped. No one knows what happened to him. Those of us that were left, we split up into clans, and went our separate ways. But that was centuries ago."

"It must have been hard," said Castiel gently keeping his hands on Dean's arms. "This vampire we're meeting up with, is he—"

"No!" exclaimed Dean. "No, it's someone else. Don't worry. Come on we need to go." He and Castiel grabbed their things and loaded up the Impala. Castiel held the umbrella for Dean while he stuffed all their belongings in the back of the car.

* * *

Night had spread across the sky by the time Dean and Castiel reached their destination. The moon was high in the sky, which was their only light source aside from Dean's flashlight—which he had out for Castiel—as the made their way through the dense woods. Dean made a huff sound despite not needing to breathe. What was it with other vampires and the woods? Dean and Castiel walked hand in hand, mainly for Castiel's sake. Though Dean's hands were cold, there was something that felt warm and comforting to the priest that gripped him tightly. Dean and Castiel stopped walking in an open area and waited. Castiel's whole body tensed as he heard footsteps in the distance. A man slowly approached until he was slightly visible from the moonlight. Dean shifted and clicked off his flashlight, leaving everything in the moons glow. "Benny."

Benny smiled, "Good to see you, Dean. You haven't changed a bit," he said. Most vampires found that joke to be funny, but Dean was unamused. "Nothing? Damn. Your sense of humor is even worse than I remember."

"Cut the crap, Benny, what the hell is going on with my brother?" asked Dean in a threatening tone. Castiel was slightly shaken by Dean's intensity. Benny stepped closer to Dean and threw a blood bag that was half empty at his feet. "What's that for?"

"That's what I've been giving to your brother. Take a whiff," answered Benny as he placed his hands in his pockets. A smirk appeared on his face. Dean's reaction was sure to be one for the history books. Dean picked up the blood bag and tore the top. Before he could even bring his nose near the bag, the foul stench sent him into a coughing fit. He threw the bag as far away as he could. The smell of the blood was disgusting, rotten.

"That is vile!" exclaimed Dean. He brought the sleeve of his shirt to his nose trying to block the smell. Castiel stood in place breathing heavily, but quietly. He was scared and confused, and couldn't smell anything. "What is that?"

Benny would have sighed if he could. "Special blood that isn't easy to come by. Special blood you just wasted."

"Yeah, well what kind of blood smells that rotten?" asked Dean still feeling nauseated from the odor. Benny began to pace back and forth. He knew he was enjoying toying with Dean a little too much, but he never had any fun anymore.

"I want you to think about it, Dean. Your brother may be a clan leader, but what clan leader is that fast, strong? What clan leader has the kind of senses your brother does? And what clan leader could possibly know you have a same-sex mate unless you brought the man home?" Benny turned his attention to Castiel, "I'm Benny, by the way."

Castiel's eyes were wide with fear, "Castiel," he barely managed to speak out. He unconsciously moved closer to Dean.

"Nice to meet you, Castiel," said Benny with a small smile. He liked to mess with Dean, but he didn't want to frighten the vampire's mate. Not yet anyway. "I'm surprised you brought him with you, Dean. He's only halfway changed, figured you'd make him wait in the car."

Dean narrowed his eyes and took Castiel's hand. "I'm not leaving him alone, if that's what you're implying. Anything you say to me, you say to him too, he's a part of this now."

Benny raised his hands in defeat, "Fine," he let his hands fall to his sides, "your brother's insane, Dean." Dean rolled his eyes.

"Care to tell me something I don't know, Benny?" he sassed.

Benny fake sighed again and began to explain. "You see, Dean, once upon a time, Sam was simply a prideful vampire. You can tell he was born to be one. He loved being stronger than a normal human. And because of this, he wanted more power. He wanted to lead the clan you two were in. So he called in a favor to me; he knew I had connections. So since he had saved my skin in the past, I thought, 'why not?' and gave him that same kind of blood you just vomited from. Upon consuming it, Sam became the strongest vampire around. He killed the clan leader and took over, chose a mate, and was content. But slowly, the blood was replaced over time by what he was newly consuming. His powers faded; he needed more. I refused to give him more, because what I have isn't easy to come by. That's when it all went downhill."

"Sam went crazy over that blood. He broke into my house and stole it. He sucked down at least five bags, and took revenge on my clan, killing at least half of the members, including my mate, Andrea. By the time the night was over, we had made a deal. He would never attack my clan again, in exchange for blood whenever he needed it. I knew there was no other way. I only gave him half a bag, any more than that, and you're an addict. He became addicted to it the moment he drank more when he broke in. And so I still give him the blood whenever he calls, if it means keeping my clan safe."

Dean stood in complete shock. What kind of blood could do that to a vampire? "Benny, what kind of blood did you give my brother?"

Benny looked at Dean with sad eyes, "The kind that can only be drained from someone who is infected with pure evil. An evil so powerful, that it gives whoever consumes it, the strength to be unstoppable."

"You didn't," whispered Dean not wanting to believe what he was hearing.

Castiel looked to Dean confused. "What is it?" Dean remained silent; maybe if he didn't say it, it wouldn't be true. "Dean, please talk to me. What is it?"

Dean swallowed back tears. How could he let this happen? How could he let his little brother go this far astray? "Demon blood."

Now it was Castiel's turn to look completely thrown off, "W-what?" he stuttered. "That's not possible," he looked up at Benny, "no one could possibly tie down a demon, especially not to drain its blood!"

"When a demon possesses a human," Benny began to explain, "it's much easier to catch them. A simple devil's trap is all it takes. And even that's not necessary sometimes. Demons like chaos, and a vampire on steroids is pretty chaotic."

"That doesn't explain why Sam is trying to force Jo to be my mate, and kill Castiel!" screamed Dean. He was hysterical by this point. Two tears rolled down his cheeks. "It doesn't make sense! I could just move away from the clan with Cas, and he would never have to see me or this 'vile' relationship ever again!"

Castiel's eyebrows knit from worry, "Dean, please calm down." He gingerly placed his hand on Dean's shoulder only to have Dean tear away.

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down! My brother is addicted to demon blood!" Dean yelled at Castiel for the first time. Castiel was taken aback, but didn't take it personally. He knew Dean was stressed. Instead of getting worked up himself, he quickly pulled Dean in for a kiss. Dean seemed to instantly relax being in the priest's gentle embrace. Castiel brought his hands to Dean's face, wiping away the tears as he kissed him as softly as he could. He slowly pulled away and rested his forehead against Dean's. Dean's whole body relaxed, "Thank you."

"If you two are finished," said Benny with a strong amount of sass. Both Dean and Castiel turned their attention. "There's a large amount of lore that tells the story of a vampire. He's the leader of his clan, and he has a brother with a same-sex mate. Over time, his addiction to infernal blood causes him to lose what was left of his mind. He goes on a rampage, and it causes mass destruction. The only person that can stop him is his brother. And the brother does stop him, but only after he changes his mate, which according to lore, any vampire with a same-sex mate is a very powerful vampire. No one knows why, or how. But anyway, at the end of the story, the clan leader is killed by his brother."

Dean shook his head in completely disbelief. "No, no, no, that has to apply to someone else! My brother's a douchebag, but I would _never_ kill him!"

"You might have to, Dean. Sam thinks if he can re-write your fate, it'll change the story. That's why he's trying to kill Castiel, and make you choose Jo. So until you stop him, none of you are safe."

"There has to be another way! I _won't_ kill Sam!"

Benny thought for a moment before responding, "There might be another way." Dean's eyes were suddenly wide with hope. "But it won't be easy." Dean simply shook his head, unable to speak. He didn't care what it took, just as long as it meant he didn't have to kill Sam. "Sam won't stop trying to change the story…unless he's not a vampire anymore."

"Wait, what?" asked Castiel. "There's a way to turn people back human?"

"Yes, there's a cure," replied Benny, "but it's going to be nearly impossible." Dean finally found his voice again. He walked closer to Benny and looked at him with the most pleading expression he could make.

"You know I'll do anything. Just tell me, please," he begged. Benny stuck his hand in his jacket pocket and fidgeted for a minute. He pulled out a piece of paper and placed it in Dean's hand.

"This is the ritual, but what it calls for, Dean, it might not be worth it," he whispered. Dean looked at Benny with shock and confusion, as if to say, "what could be so bad it's not worth saving Sam?". Benny squeezed Dean's hand left the paper with him. "You need the blood of the vampire that turned you and Sam." Dean's entire world came crashing down. How could he track down the vampire that turned him and his brother? He knew the vampire was still alive, he and Sam would know if he was dead, but this was an impossible task. He knew he'd end up dead the moment the vampire saw him.

"I guess I've got a lot of research to do. I've got to track the son of a bitch down somehow," said Dean stuffing the paper into his pocket. "Let's go, Cas."

Benny grabbed Dean's shoulder and turned him to face him, "Dean, you're not seriously considering this! You, and your mate, are dead if you go. If you're lucky you'll end up dead. I know who turned you, I don't know where he is, but I know you're in over your head."

"I don't care, Benny! I won't kill Sam! I'll die before I kill my own brother!" shouted Dean slapping Benny away from him.

"You're going to risk him in the process?" asked Benny gesturing to Castiel. Dean turned to look at Castiel, whom was looking extremely stressed and frightened.

"I won't let him hurt Cas, I'll protect him with my life!"

"And that is what will get you killed."

Dean walked away from Benny over to Castiel, taking the priest's hand in his. "Thanks for your help, Benny. We're leaving now."

Benny knew there was no changing Dean's mind. "Be careful. And good luck," he said as he watched Dean leave holding tightly onto the man that would either be his salvation or destruction. "Lord have mercy…"

* * *

Dean drove for a few miles until he and Castiel stumbled upon another cheap motel. They checked in and Dean double checked the locks on the door. He was becoming more paranoid than before. Sam was high off demon blood, who knows what he was capable of. Dean was so stressed he didn't realize he hadn't said a word to Castiel. Castiel took it upon himself to break the silence. "Dean," he started, "are you alright?" Dean looked up and realized the deafening silence.

"Yeah," he said. "Sorry, I didn't realize I was being so quiet." He sat down on the bed and ran his thumb along the paper that rested against his palm. "I don't know how I'm going to find the son of a bitch, but I will. I won't hurt Sam."

Castiel sat down next to Dean, "What are you going to do if you find this vampire, Dean? Benny made him sound really dangerous, even for you."

"I'll find him and I'll do what I have to, to save Sam." Castiel noticed tears gathering Dean's eyes again. "He was such a good kid. He had the most genuine heart. But he always got picked on for it. My dad would always tell me, 'keep an eye on Sam.' So I did. Every damn day. He was my little brother, my responsibility. And I never minded at all. Sometimes I would feel like it was a burden, for just a second, and then he'd do something like bring me an injured animal like a rabbit, and ask me to help him take care of it. If this cure works, then that'll mean maybe I can get my baby brother back…"

Castiel gingerly wiped away the tears that fell from Dean's eyes, the beautiful emerald eyes Castiel had seen a million times, but now he felt like he was truly seeing them for the first time. All the pain, what makes Dean who he is, was finally being shown. And as sad as it was, Castiel felt honored that Dean was allowing himself to be vulnerable in that moment. Castiel gently kissed Dean again. He held him in a comforting embrace, and gave him every bit of passion he had. Dean blinked away the last of his tears and kissed Castiel back, slowly. He wasn't kissing roughly or hungrily like he was used to. Instead, he felt loved for the first time in a very long time.

Dean and Castiel maneuvered to the center of the bed and lay in each other's grasp, still tasting each other as much as they could. Castiel realized he had never felt like this before, even with Hannah. He fit into Dean's body perfectly. Even their hands fit together, as if their fingers were designed to interlock like puzzle pieces. Dean moved his mouth away from Castiel's and kissed at the priest's jaw and neck. That night, they weren't tearing at each other like animals. They simply continued to move together, which was more satisfying than anything else. They were happy just being close to each other. Eventually, they drifted to sleep together, knowing that as long as they were together, nothing in the world could be all that bad.


End file.
